A Wish is a Dream
by Bdoyle
Summary: Continuation of Where You're Supposed to Be - best to read it first I had a stroke two years ago and reacted badly to meds, the pain was more than intense. Yes, you can feel your head cracking. I used it as guide for this piece. For those who requested...hope you enjoy.
1. Chapter 1

Daisy tried moving her arms for what seemed like the hundredth time in the last five minutes. She was convinced she was swimming…in Jell-O…orange Jell-O. It made her giggle. Giggling made her hurt. She never liked Jell-O, but she like to see it wiggle and once she heard that people were going to wrestle in it. A boy in her sixth grade class tried to get everyone in the school to donate a box of the stuff so he could add it to his backyard pool and try diving in to it. She never got to find out if it worked.

But now here she was in her own pool…er, lake…pond…something full of it and she didn't like it very much. 'Too restricting,' she told her self in spy-speak. 'So hard to move my arms and legs and soooooo sticky.' She didn't like sticky…dirty, grimy, even greasy was okay but not sticky. Yuck!

She really wanted to get out…out of this sticky mess but no matter how hard she tried she could not move forward or backward for that matter. Geez, maybe it wasn't Jell-O…maybe it was glue…yeah…crazy…no, no that other stuff…gorilla glue. She tried again to move her arms…nothing. It was so damn frustrating and now…oh gawd…now she was crying…again.

What the hell was it with all the tears? Maybe it was the gawd awful pain in her head, not a headache her whole head hurt…even her face…eyes…cheeks…nose…oh, even her ears hurt. Was it possible for your eyelashes to hurt? She could not ever remember ever having such a terrible ache in her head. The ringing buzz in her ears wasn't helping either. She knew her eyes were closed because she kept trying to open them…with no luck. The pain kept them glued shut. (yes, that damn glue again…must have splashed it in her eyes…)

She wanted to pull herself into a tight little ball and allow her head to just implode…yes, implode and not the opposite…but she couldn't move. It felt like it was sucking into itself and she almost laughed thinking of that weird scene at the end of Beetlejuice. No…no laughing, no talking…do not even breathe loudly because it would just intensify the pain.

Pain…aggravated nerves…that's what they said. Who are 'they' and why do 'they' keep saying things and why was she thinking such ridiculous thoughts. Pain it was the pain's fault…her fault. If she just did as she was told…just followed directions…orders…if she was good she wouldn't be in such pain…no…no…she wasn't a kid anymore…was she? No! She wasn't a kid. Oh gawd…why wouldn't this pain go away…why wouldn't someone just make it stop?

She tried again to lift her arm, to press her hand to the pain but she remembered the Jell-O…that damn orange Jell-O gorilla glue sticky crap that held her in place. And then another pain…something bit her arm…no…stabbed her arm...and she was crying…again.

"Shhhhh"

She tried to turn her head toward the sound. What was it? Air…wind…a tea kettle…no, that would whistle.

"Shhhhh"

There it was again. It was quiet. It sounded calm. It was close. She could almost feel it. It was warm and why was she so cold. But the cold was good…and the warm was better. And her fingers were moving…but she wasn't moving them…how? The warm shush was moving them. It was slipping something around them. She wanted to pull away and she didn't want to pull away. She wanted to feel the warm shush…it didn't take away the pain, but it made her feel… feel like she could get out of the Jell-O…the sticky gorilla orange Jell-O. She hated orange Jell-O.

She wanted someone to take the pain away…the shush squeezed her fingers and…something touched her cheek…something wiped the tears.

"Shhhhhh…shhhh"

Daisy mouthed a word…a word she couldn't say…couldn't say because her voice would crack the last part of her skull that was holding her mind intact. She knew it would so she wouldn't even whisper.

The shush was singing, something quiet and soft. She couldn't really understand what it said, but it helped her…just helped her be quiet as well…quiet and still…still and not fighting to move through that damn gorilla sticky orange Jell-O. She hated orange.

She mouthed the word again but knew she was alone. There was no one to answer. No one to come even if she could call out, even if her head did crack. 'Mom', it was just a word, not a person…but something in her desperately wanted her mom…no not her mom…not that monster. She cried harder and a sob escaped, a real sob…she heard it before she felt the crushing pain. Pain that started behind her ears and crackled through her cheek bones and into her eyes.

She pulled her feet free of the sticky Jell-O, but something…or was it someone pulled them back and again something bit her…bit her hip. She cried harder…pulled harder and took a deep breath.

"Mommy!"

The word leaked out in a weak stream…in a wish…a prayer…a brokenhearted plea for the person who never existed yet Daisy's heart still ached for her. She convinced herself after that woman who bore her tried to kill her that she had no need for anyone to fill that void…but it was not true. Especially now…when the pain…and that awful Jell-O orange gorilla sticky was probably going to kill her…now…just this once she wanted to unchain her heart and need her mother. Just this once she wanted to have someone love her and need her and want her more than anyone else in the world…as much as she wanted her mom.

"It hurts so much…oh, mommy…it hurts…" she cried and squeezed the warm shush tightly. It squeezed back. She didn't care that her voice made it worse. She didn't care if her head cracked open because in her mind it already had.

"It's going to be okay. Shhhh, I'm here, right here."

The shush had a voice. It was speaking…speaking to her…close to her…holding her hand…wiping her tears.

"Mommy…mom?"

"It's okay. I'm here. Shhhh, shhhh, let the medicine work. You need to be still, rest…"

The shush started to pull away. She wouldn't let it. She held on tighter.

"No…no…don't go…mom…mom, please don't go."

The tears were running down her cheeks into her ears. The sobs coming so close together she was having trouble breathing.

"I'm here. I'm not going anywhere. Shhhh, please, baby….just let the medicine help you."

"My head is broken." Daisy sobbed. She wanted to open her eyes but they were still full of that awful sticky orange jorilla goo.

"Yes, tiānkōng, but Jemma is helping to fix it. You need to be still, you need to rest."

The shush was very close…close to her ear...no close to her face. Something soft on her eye… and on her other eye…something soft…the shush kissed her…twice…kissed her eyes. Kissed her head. Shushed her and started singing again…quiet and calm…called her tiānkōng…tea and kong…sky…

It was getting harder and harder to think…harder to cry…harder to fight the gicky jorange ello goo. The shush kept petting her throbbing head, wiping her tears and singing so softly…so softly that she barely felt the bite on her hip…barely felt the pain as she stopped fighting, stopped struggling and let the medicine help…because the shush asked.

Twenty hours later Daisy swam back to consciousness. She opened her eyes slowly and listened to the steady beeping of the monitors next to her bead. Raising her hand she carefully felt the large bandage that surrounded her head and tried to quell the panic raising in her gut.

"It looks worse than it is." Jemma smiled as she moved into her line of sight. "Actually it is more for protection than anything else." She moved from monitor to monitor checking and rechecking then turned and removed an empty bag from the IV infuser, replacing it with another. She stopped and looked directly at her. "You really had us worried." She squeezed her hand.

"You should drink." May's voice startled her coming from the opposite side of the bed. She held a glass of water with a straw and put it to the girl's lips. Daisy drank obiently.

"I…" her voice was raspy but May rested a finger against her lips and simply said.

"Shhhhh."

It all came back in a rush…the Jell-O…the crying…the pain…the desperate need…mom. Daisy felt the flush in her cheeks.

"It's okay. I'm right here." May smiled and squeezed her hand.

Jemma smiled and nodded at them both as she backed out the door.

"I'm sorry," Daisy whispered staring at her hand that was interlocked with her mentor's.

May snorted, "For being hurt?" She almost laughed as she squeezed the girl's hand again and shook it a bit.

Daisy shrugged her shoulders. "I had a weird dream."

"You need to be quiet or I'll have Simmons jab you with more knock out meds." May warned. The girl ducked her chin in a slight nod as Jemma re-entered the room carrying a small tray. She busied herself with machines and charts occasionally smiling back at her friend.

"You have very serious head injury, Daisy," the doctor began. "Your luck Angie's friend found you when he did or we might not have been able to help you. You have that huge bandage to protect the area where we had to remove a small piece of skull to relieve the swelling."

Daisy's eyes grew wide as she slowly reached up to touch her head. May gently took her hand back and patted it softly. "It's not like we'll leave a hole in your head," she smiled. "They'll put it back, just as soon as they're sure there's no more swelling."

"You'll have to take it easy for a while." Jemma was using her stern doctor voice. "And I really mean EASY."

Daisy squirmed a bit igniting the pain in her head that must have still been asleep. It woke with a vengeance and she closed her eyes to keep them from melting out of their sockets. "Mommy," squeaked out and May squeezed her hand.

"Okay, that's enough. Simmons?" May commanded and Daisy felt a sharp sting in her thigh before she felt Jemma at her side plugging something into the IV.

"A bit of morphine for the pain, you really need to rest." She smiled. "You'll sleep for a bit."

Daisy held fast to May's hand. "Don't go…"

May smiled and bent down kissing both the girl's eyes and then her head.

The medicines worked quickly and Daisy surrendered to the bliss whispering a wish, "Mom…"

"Sleep tiānkōng …I'll be here when you wake up."


	2. Chapter 2

The jet jumped sending its passengers slightly up and back down only because of the extreme straps that held them in place. Lightening flashes lit the cockpit and spread to the body of the plane casting a yellow mask across the two men seated closest to the front.

Mack leaned his head back against the cool leather headrest, silently praying for a safe path through the storm and for the courage to see it through, but mostly to accept whatever the outcome. The man's size and strength did nothing to build his confidence in flying, even after all this time he still did it with silent trepidation.

Coulson seemed lost in meditation, eyes closed yet deep in concentration. The man was not deep in prayer but deep in thought, lost in worry and anxious to return to base. Before boarding a few hours earlier he had received a cryptic message from his second in command. _'Storm is increasing'_ , was all the text read. He understood her need to send such a message. They'd developed their own system of code through the years they'd worked together. 'Storm' was code that an agent was down; referencing it gave the condition of that agent. In this case he understood that the agent was badly injured…critical. She'd sent him another message early that same morning.

 _'Tide's come in, heading for the beach.'_

And he knew she'd been found.

After searching for almost eight months…after dead ends and worthless tips…after brief sightings and almost misses…May had found her. No, someone else found her and knew to contact May and only May.

He'd kept it quiet, not even alerting Mack…waiting for word…waiting for a location…where to find them both. And then the second message…someone was hurt…badly. He took a deep breath and let it out shakily. The men around him merely took it as anxiety that they shared as the plane was jarred again by the ferocious storm. He swallowed hard. Who…who was hurt? May? Sk…Daisy? How? Was there violence? Did Daisy resist? Did May retaliate…take her by force? Did…Daisy…did she use her power to escape…to beat…to hurt…no, the girl would not hurt her mentor. Would she?

Coulson dug his nails into his seat as the plane bounced again. He was anxious but it had nothing to do with the bouncing, the lightening or the thunder that crashed around the vehicle. His anxiety grew from the fact that _this_ storm was slowing their progress. It was putting them behind schedule and preventing him from contacting May. A stronger storm was brewing inside and it had already put one of his girls in jeopardy. Not knowing which one was chewing a hole through his gut.

"Hey," Mack's voice broke through his thoughts. "Never knew you to be skittish in bad weather." There was almost a hint of laughter there in his deep voice.

Coulson blinked a few times and smiled a half-hearted grin. "Tired, I guess," he lied. The large man stared down at him for a beat before pursing his lips and giving a quick nod. He knew Coulson was holding back.

He wasn't keeping anything from Mack. There were just too many agents…too many of Mace's 'ears' around for him to share this info and he wasn't exactly sure what that information was. He pulled back his sleeve and glanced at his watch…a little after ten…almost seven hours since May's message…three hours until they touched down at the base…but that was only if they were on schedule and that last crack of lightening was certainly evidence that they were not. Sitting here, buckled into the seat like a toddler in the back of the family van was more restricting than usual. He needed to move…needed to pace…to walk off the anxiety that right now felt like armies of fire ants crawling under his skin…over his skin…through his skin. He closed his eyes and imagined himself jumping in circles and slapping the offensive insects away. It almost brought him to nervous laughter.

"Storm's getting too rough," the co-pilot announced from the cockpit. "We're gonna have to put down and wait it out. Might be a rough landing."

Everyone checked their restraints as a rumble of comments spread across the fuselage. Coulson remained still, quiet in comparison to the rest.

"Bout time," Mack commented, mostly to himself having given up on trying to make conversation with his abnormally silent partner.

Coulson wrestled with his reaction to the announcement. Anger welled up at the fact that getting home would now be later and there was no way to tell how much later…relief because once on the ground there was a much better chance of contacting May even if he had to somehow locate a landline.

Forty minutes later the plane had bounced to a sloppy landing at a small airport outside of a small town somewhere in rural Pennsylvania. Another hour and they had made their way to a motel hidden on a back road used mostly by truckers stopping for a well deserved night's rest. The storm was wicked but as luck would have it the place had just enough vacancies for the agents to pair up and share rooms without overcrowding.

Coulson and Mack shared the last room at the end of the strip. It was small and smelled musty, but the beds were clean and even better, the bathroom was spotless. Mack entered the room first, dropped his bag and flopped onto the first bed. A flash of lightening lit up the room in red before Phil flipped on the light and Mack draped his hand over his eyes.

Coulson dropped his bag on the second bed and let out a long breath before turning to his roommate. "May's got her." He remarked quietly, without making eye contact.

Mack stopped rubbing his eyes and pushed himself up on one elbow. "How…when?" He sat up and waited for an answer.

"I'm not sure. I got a quick message this morning, only that she'd been found and May was bringing her in." He waited for Mack's reaction. When there was none he continued, "got a second just before we took off. Someone's hurt."

"Who?" Mack's concern showed in that one word.

"I'm not sure, but it's serious." Phil answered taking out his cell and checking for service. He walked across the room closer to the window and held the phone up to check again.

"We're in the middle of nowhere in the storm of the century…doubt there'll be any service." Mack shook his head and pulled out his own phone. He shook his head as he pushed it back into his pocket.

Phil dropped his hand to his side. "That sat-phone still in the SUV?" He asked without turning around.

"It's there, but soon as you use it Mace will know everything." Mack warned. "Is it worth putting them in that situation? May's probably got her stashed somewhere. Once Mace gets her he'll lock her up…put her in stasis…who knows what that slimy bastard might have planned."

"Mace is a pansy-ass…but a necessary pansy-ass." Phil breathed out, sounding defeated. The gradually increasing tapping of hail outside the window meant the storm was not winding down. They could be there til morning. It would be a long night, a long sleepless night.

Just before 4 a.m. Coulson checked his phone (for what seemed like the thousandth time) and found a strong service band. He paused for a moment and listening to the rain…no longer pounding…just simple rain. He finger punched May's private cell number in before taking a second breath. She answered before the second ring.

"Phil"

There was worry in her voice, worry but not hurt. She was okay…physically.

"She's hurt Phil. They beat her…I don't know how, but they did."

Her voice caught and his heart ached knowing he could not hold her, comfort and support her.

"Simmons is doing what she can. Where are you?"

"The storm grounded us about two hours out. I'll be there midmorning. It's letting up." He tried to sound confident.

"She's in and out, talking nonsense and in a lot of pain. Martinelli found her in Hartford."

Phil let out a soft snort. "Nice of our girl to get herself in trouble close to a former agent."

"Angie's got a friend with some powers of his own. He found her. Watchdogs, Phil…they ambushed her. I've only seen her this hurt once before…"

May left the comment unfinished but not before he pictured Daisy…Skye lying in her own blood on that cold basement floor and thinking she was gone before he dropped to her side. The hours…days that followed twisted everything and his mouth went dry remembering how it felt to almost lose her. He never wanted that feeling again.

"Phil?"

"I'm here."

"I've got to get back before she wakes up again. We're here…at the base."

"The base?" He was surprised May would take the chance on taking her there.

"The hell with Mace," May growled. "She needs the best care and this is the only place she'll get it. We'll deal with the rest when this is over." He could here Simmons speaking in the background. "Get here as soon as possible."

She hung up before he could answer.

The Quinjet was in the air by sunrise and carefully maneuvering into the Playground's hanger by 10 a.m. Phil walked past a stone-faced director without a word and made his way to medical. He stepped through the double doors and looked across the lab to the glass wall that outlined the treatment area. He could make out the forms of techs moving inside the wall, the numerous machines blinking and beeping their vital information, IV poles and infusers and the dark hair that was May. She had her back to him.

He didn't remember walking across the room or opening the glass door that sealed the medical treatment area and he was standing behind her blinking away the moisture in his eyes as he took in the full scene.

"Okay, that's enough. Simmons?" May commanded and Daisy jumped a bit as Jemma injected her with a quick jab then moved to her side injecting a second solution into the IV.

"A bit of morphine for the pain, you really need to rest." She smiled as she noticed the former director enter the room. "You'll sleep for a bit." She nodded toward him and May turned to look over her shoulder briefly loosening her grip on Daisy's hand.

"Don't go…" Daisy's voice was small and weak, barely more that a soft whine.

May turned back and bent down kissed both the girl's eyes and then her head. Daisy struggled for a moment but her eyes remained closed as she surrendered to the medications. She gently squeezed the hand holding her own and breathed, "Mom."

"Sleep tiānkōng …I'll be here when you wake up."

May held her hand with both of her own, patting gently until she knew the girl had once again drifted into the blackness of morphine induced sleep. She easily slid her hand free and turned to the man standing behind falling into his embrace not caring who could see or what might be said.

Phil held her, felt her trembling with relief as he stared at the young inhuman in the bed before him. Why did people always look so much smaller…so much younger in those beds? Again he shook away the memories of the same girl slipping away only a few years ago. For a moment he didn't even realize that he was holding someone and that someone was Melinda May.

He wasn't sure what he expected. He had no idea what kind of injuries Daisy had received. He stared at the turban of bandage around her head, her swollen purple eyes and deep bruises along her jaw and collar bone. A gash on her lower lip was sutured giving it that comical image of a tiny insect setting near her mouth. Her nose flattened and wide on her face made her almost unrecognizable. He almost wanted to ask if anyone had checked to be sure it was truly their Daisy.

"She's improving slowly." Jemma stated bringing both of them back to the present.

"I want those bastards." May hissed through clenched teeth loud enough that only Coulson heard.

He held her at arms length and nodded. "Together," he nodded.

Jemma rested a hand on May's shoulder and gave a gentle squeeze. "Perhaps you should get something to eat…" The woman shook her head. "Just a cup of tea then," the doctor smiled. "You've been here all night and Daisy's going to be out for a while. I'll call you if there are any changes." She squeezed her shoulder again.

"Come on," Phil wrapped an arm around her shoulders. "We'll get the tea and come back here." He did not want to be away any more than May did.

Jemma smiled but shook her head slightly. "I'll have another chair brought in, sir."

"There's not a lot to tell," May began as she forced herself to sip hot tea. Phil wanted answers and she had very few. "Angie's friend, Mario, didn't have much to say."

In any other situation Phil would have found the humor in May's saying anyone was reluctant to converse, now he just let it pass.

"He didn't see anything; just found her behind a dumpster in some alley. He'd been following her but lost track for an hour or so then spent another two searching. Guess his _'skills'_ include some kind of tracking." She was careful not to say too much, still helping to protect inhuman from the harsh standards of The Accords. She didn't quite agree with them, but kept that to herself. Besides, no one was going to do that to her kid…director or not.

"All that matters is he did find her," Phil thought out loud.

"Martinelli contacted me when she realized how seriously she was injured." May was quiet for a moment, imagining what Daisy had endured. "They could have killed her, Phil and we'd never know what happened to her."

Coulson knew she was right. If the Watchdogs had eliminated Quake she would have simply vanished leaving both he and May with an emptiness that could never be filled. This was a feeling reserved for parents…those who have lost a child leaving a void that grew ever expanding rather than healing. He couldn't imagine that pain. It chilled him, left him paralyzed both physically and emotionally. The only feeling that ran through his being was rage…white, blind rage at the so called men who did this. He understood May's wrath, her need for vengeance.

"She'll tell us more when she wakes up…when she's well." May had been speaking as he thought but he only heard this last comment and couldn't help but laugh. She narrowed her gaze and stopped the cup halfway to her lips.

"She's too much like you to share much, if anything at all." He explained. May relaxed and the corners of her eyes crinkled with an invisible smile.

She set down her cup and pushed her chair from the table. "I want to get back. I promised. You know how she is about promises."

He nodded and stood as well, picking up both mugs and taking them to the sink. They walked back to Daisy's room together. May took her chair gently petting Daisy's hand before she sat down. Phil pulled his chair close enough to May that she could rest against his shoulder.

Daisy whimpered without waking, lost again in some drugged pain induced dream. May took her hand. Phil rested his on top of hers. The girl tensed for a moment then slowly relaxed.'

"Shhhhh," They hushed together

The shush was different, yet familiar…comforting…safe.

Phil's large hand folded over May's and Daisy's. He squeezed gently. He had no intention of letting go…ever again.


	3. Chapter 3

The crack was loud…like a bat striking a ball and knocking it out of the park…the echo sounded for a few seconds before Daisy opened her eyes. She looked up…up…yes, up…she was lying on the ground. She could feel the pavem…no, no…it was grass beneath her hands. She blinked a few times in an attempt to focus, to look through the slats of…of…a rusty fire escape…no…it was green…moving…blue and white just beyond…through the…leaves! Yes, they were leaves. She was looking through the leaves of a very large tree…lying on the ground and looking up through leaves that wiggled in the breeze. And someone…no, more than that…someones were laughing.

'Someones?' She smiled at the silly word, but only for a moment because she really hurt and all that high pitched laughing was making it hard to focus.

"Ur-in trouble now, Poops!" A childish voice sniggered. "They told you to stay outta that tree, but you just can't listen. Can ya?" The laughter in that voice made her angry, made her want to get up and smack it right out of that kid.

Kid? Good gawd, she wanted to hit a kid? She must have smacked her head good when she…she…what the heck did she do to herself. And why were all these kids standing around laughing at her. She rolled to her side and pushed herself up enough to look at them laughing and pointing at her. She squinted in the bright sunlight trying to make out faces that were vaguely familiar but nameless. The taunting voices were so much more familiar and they were feeding the feeling that made her want to plow into the lot of them.

One moved close pressing his face almost to touching hers. She pulled back and blinked at his fuzzy image. "Barrett's on her way, Poops and this time yer gonna get it good. She won't care if you got a boo-boo." He finished with a hard shove to her shoulder knocking back down to the ground.

Before she could bring herself back up…and yes, this time she was going to knock that brat on his ass…the laughter stopped as if it had been flicked off with a kill switch. She watched all of the kids…gawd, where did they all come from anyway. They backed up and parted as someone waded through their midst. Someone who was stomping determinedly toward her…she brought her hand up to shield the light and maybe see this person. Before she could the woman…it was a woman…grabbed her upper arm and pulled her to her feet giving her a very rough shake.

"I'm tired of your blatant disregard for rules!" The woman shook her again and Daisy opened her mouth to speak…tried to pull her arm free but this woman had a grip like a vice.

"Hey!" was all she managed to blurt before the woman grabbed her opposite arm and shook her hard enough to cause her head to snap back and then forward. The pain was immeasurable. She squeezed her eyes shut and grit her teeth to hold it back.

"Don't you dare talk back to me! Not a word, not one word…I do not want to hear your voice." The woman admonished, letting go of one arm and dragging her forward. Daisy struggled to keep up, not to trip over her own feet. "I've had it with you and your defiance…you won't be seeing Sr. Jeremy this time." The woman stopped and brought her face close to Daisy's ear. "This time, I'll be the one to make sure the punishment is more than a few hours extra kitchen duty. This time you will be punished, not molly-coddled!" She shook her again and this time Daisy couldn't control the tears that rolled over her cheeks. The woman started pulling her again. "Tears won't work with me, Lady Jane. You brought this on yourself and when I'm finished you will certainly have something to cry about!"

The woman pulled her into a building, dragging her down a long hallway that seemed familiar but there was something off about it. It was a hallway in the base…but it wasn't. The doors were wrong, but it felt like the base. She pulled her into the common room and pushed her onto the couch…but it was a different couch, not leather…no it was old with some odd flowery upholstery. It smelled like the cellar.

The mugs and utensils that normally hung over the sink were missing, replaced by…by some kind of wooden decorations. She couldn't make out what they were and the room seemed smaller. Some things were missing and some things were…well they were things she figured must have been put there with all the changes made in the time…the time…what time…where was everyone anyway and how the hell did she get here. She stood up only to have the woman who stood before her roughly shove her back down.

"You stay right were I put you, young lady. Right there, right in that seat and you will have a nice long thought about what you've done this time." She waited a few moments. "Do you hear me?!" She was almost shrieking. "I expect some sort of answer!"

The couch felt different and Daisy realized she was now seated on a wooden chair at a school type desk. Her hands were folded in front of her, feet flat on the floor. She looked around for a second time and found herself in some kind of office. There was a desk…Coulson's desk? No, it was older…bleak, void of any tokens or adornments except for a smaller version of that wooden thing on the wall…the wall…she looked back over her shoulder…the wall, the common room was gone.

"LOOK AT ME WHEN I AM TALKING TO YOU!" The woman bellowed and Daisy turned quickly, regretting it immediately as the pain that was her head screamed just as loudly. She tried to focus on the woman's face, but still could not make out the features. "DO YOU HEAR ME?! I EXPECT AN ANSWER!"

Somewhere…from some distant and still foggy memory a very young voice poked at Daisy and she managed to answer with more than a bit of a smirk. "You told me not to say anyth…" The slap across her cheek stopped her cold and she wondered for just a moment why it didn't make the pain in her head any worse…but only for a moment because she was pretty sure if it got any worse she'd probably be dying…or dead…but, she didn't think being dead would hurt…still she didn't want to be dead.

The woman picked up the front of the desk a few inches from the floor then slammed it back down with a loud bang. She shook a finger close to Daisy's nose and spoke through her teeth. "You get out of that seat before I get back and you won't need a chair until the second coming!" With that she turned and stormed out of the room, slamming the door so hard that the metal blinds that covered the small window in it slapped against the wood and turned sideways before bouncing to a stop.

Daisy watched the door for a few seconds then quickly wiped the tears off of her cheeks. What the hell was she crying about and who the hell was that wild woman and where the hell was she and how the hell did she get here and…Hell? Is that where she was…Hell…was this that place she been told about as a child…eternal damnation for those who deserved to be damned.

She deserved it…knew she did. She was bad. She didn't listen, didn't follow the rules. She ran away…ran away because she was nothing but trouble. Trouble is as trouble does…yep that was her…trouble. She ruined everything and lost…no destroyed everything good…everyone…

That's why she was in this room…in Hell. That's why this woman was so…cruel…mean…brutal… OMG! Was Satan a woman? Okay that made sense; women could be so much more vindictive than men…sometimes.

Stop…stop…STOP! Daisy shouted out loud in her mind…no sense in taking chances and having that woman hear her. She was pretty sure this is not what she was supposed to be thinking about…but then again she wasn't quite she what she *was* supposed to be thinking about. It was hard to think anyway because something was beeping and it was extremely annoying…like an alarm clock you might just pick up and wire across the room…yeah like a shot put she told herself with a silent laugh. Why didn't someone turn it off?

Geez, maybe it was a fire alarm…FIRE…oops, Daisy laughed again. A fire in Hell? Really? Alarms'd be pretty useless here. She laughed again and quickly covered her mouth before someone heard.

Someone was talking…mumbling. She could hear them but couldn't understand them. And someone was calling a name but she couldn't make out exactly what they were saying or who they were trying to contact. She was so very tired…did dead people get tired? Well, she'd never been dead before so she wasn't sure…but she was pretty sure they were supposed to hurt. And she didn't want to be dead…not really, and she didn't want to hurt but her head didn't know that so it kept hurting. Maybe that was her punishment. She didn't want to think anymore so she put her head down on her arms and closed her eyes. If only that incessant beeping would stop, she might be able to sleep. If only that kid would answer its parents…parents…mom…mommy…

The darkness was so inviting…she could just let go and drift away with it…like floating in warm water…no more pain…no more memories…no more hurt.

Oh, that damn beeping…that damn alarm clock…smoke detector…someone please just turn it off!

Daisy felt a sharp jab in her shoulder and picked up her head to look into the snarling face of that woman…that…nun…that…Sister Regina. Oh, she remembered now…Sister Regina…No Nonsense Barrett. Sr. Regina had made her life a living hell for the three months she was in charge of the girl's dormitory at the orphanage. They never, ever got along and the other kids used it against her every chance they got. She tried to stay out of Regina's path but it was like the lady had it in for her. If Mary Sue Poots knew Hydra existed she would have been sure Sr. Regina was one of its top operatives. And that operative's mission was to destroy Poots.

"Have a nice sleep?" The woman asked sarcastically, poking Daisy a second time. "Guess you didn't do much thinking…but you never do. If you did any thinking at all, you wouldn't be in this predicament. Would you?"

Daisy blinked a few times wondering if she should answer. She decided it was better to just shake her throbbing head.

"How many times have I told you to stay out of that tree, Mary Sue? How_many_times?"

Daisy swallowed. Tree? What tree? Mary Sue? What?

"Answer me!" The nun spoke slowly, ice dripping from her words.

"I…I don't…" Daisy stammered.

The woman slammed both hands down on the small desk causing the girl to jump. "Of course you don't! You never do!" Now she was smiling, a big toothy smile.

"My head hurts." Daisy moaned reaching to run her hand through her hair.

"Good!" The woman had no sympathy. "Teach you a lesson, won't it?"

"But it really hurts." Daisy moaned again surprised at how young her voice sounded.

"I_don't _care." The woman smiled. "That's not all that's going to hurt." She walked around the large desk and pulled open a drawer. Daisy couldn't see what she took from it but was pretty sure it wasn't good. A moment later the woman slammed a foot long wooden paddle against the desktop.

The beeping grew louder…faster and Daisy could hear a lot of voices now…they sounded excited…no…no…scared. And someone was still yelling…yelling a name. If she could only understand what they were yelling…who were they calling?

The girl pulled herself free of the seat and backed against the opposite wall. She held her hands out in front of her shielding herself from the woman who still stood behind the larger desk. "No…no…you…can't," she thought…pressed her mind through the crushing pain in her head.

He had a bar…a metal bar and she tried so hard to stand, to send enough pulse to push him back…away. But she was too weak…too hurt…what did they do to her? What was that gas that almost blinded her…that brought her to her knees? And then they were kicking and punching and she tried so hard…so hard. The bar…it came down and she tried to move away…tried to stop it but she was too weak…too slow…too drugged and then everything was hazy. She managed one…just one intense pulse that sent the four of them against the wall before she fell back and then the sirens and someone screaming and rapid footsteps and running and someone saying they'd be back…she wouldn't get far…not like that. She pulled herself up and ran…stumbled over debris…knocked over cans and boxes. It was hard to see. Horns blew and someone swore at her…she fell again…were they coming? She made it to the alley…the dumpster…fell behind it and pulled the boxes and bags on top of her. Maybe…maybe they wouldn't find her…maybe.

"Can't? Can't? I can't? Can't what? Can't use this to make you understand that I mean what I say? Can't use this to make sure you remember the next time you feel you're too good to follow rules?" The woman tapped the pipe she held against the top of the desk in time with the never ending beeping.

Daisy blinked tears away. "My…my mmmm…" She wanted to say something, to tell this crazed woman who now seemed to be morphing into something else, to tell her that someone…she had someone who…someone wouldn't let her…

"Your what?" The person before her goaded.

The girl scrubbed away the tears that made her vision blurry. "My mmmother…mmmy mom…my p-p-parents won't let you hurt me!" She spit out, sounding so much like a terrified child.

"Oh, Annie, baby…" The person who was neither Sr. Regina nor a rather large dark-skinned man mocked her. He-she swung the paddle-pipe. "Your parents are long gone," it laughed. "Lucky for you too, they would have killed you…maybe should have." It laughed again. "Total lunatics, Annie, and the sun is definitely not coming out tomorrow."

Daisy shook off the thing's words. "My parents love me!" She bit back.

The thing threw back its head and howled with laughter. "You don't deserve love…you aren't even hu…"

The beeper sounded like a claxon. Daisy threw her hands over her ears but the cacophony of sound burrowed into her aching head. She knew she could not take much more. It was louder, faster almost as if several beepers…alarms… claxons…sirens…were screaming in harmony.

She thrust her hands out in front of her willing her power forward without success. "They DO love me!"

"Jiaying? Crazy Cal?" The thing laughed harder, smacking the pipe-paddle against the palm of its hand. "Love anyone? She's too full of hate to even know what that means and him…well who the hell knows what he's thinking. If he's even capable of forming a thought" It stepped around the desk and started toward her. The sirens screamed louder with each of its steps. "Time for you to take your medicine, Mary Sue, time to get what you deserve." It continued smacking its weapon in its hand and smiling an evil smile as it approached.

"That's NOT my name and they're NOT my parents. My p-parents LOVE me. My m-m…my…my M-May…she loves…me." Daisy raised her hands again and sent out a weak pulse. It was getting difficult to breath…something hurt…something beside her head…every breath made it hurt more…she wanted to stop…to stop breathing and let all the hurt go away because you can't hurt when you're dead but…May…Ma…mom. She did love her and she…she loved her back. She'd be angry if Daisy gave up…she didn't raise a quitter.

The thing was an arm's reach away, its laughter feeding her pain. "May? You think May is your mother…that bitch feels nothing. Wallows so much in her own pain she can barely function outside her damned need to follow orders." It laughed again and the beepers screamed and now there were voices screaming with them, screaming a name…whose name? Who were they calling?

She just wanted it to stop, but not before she set this nun-monster thing straight. "You're wrong! She does love me and I love her. She's the mother I searched for...wished for…prayed for and I know she loves me. You can do what you want to me but you can't make her stop_being_my_mom!" She forced herself forward struggling to pull each breath into her lungs.

The thing raised the pipe ready to strike and she sent out the strongest pulse she could. It hit the pipe with bright blue sparks sending the thing across the room and bouncing the tremor back toward Daisy. It struck her chest with a blast that jerked her body up and away from the wall and then back down.

She drew in a deep breath and everything was still...except for those screeching beepers.

"Daisy! Daisy!" the voice was screaming now and it was clear who it was calling.

"Damn it, Daisy, don't you dare…don't you dare do this to me! Daisy!"

She didn't remember falling but she was lying down and that gods' forsaken bleeping beep was still blaring…

"Daisy!"

She wanted to answer. She knew that voice. Someone was holding her hand and someone was shouting something and geez something bit her thigh…again. When she found her way out of this place she was getting some super heavy duty insect repellant and bathe in it.

"Daisy!"

Another familiar voice…deeper…she knew that voice, too. She wanted to answer but she couldn't speak over those sirens…and she just hurt too much.

"CLEAR!" Someone yelled and she was sure something kicked her in the chest. Her body jerked with the force of it.

Someone was crying and someone was yelling and someone was trying to keep them calm.

"CLEAR!" Another punch to the chest and she gasped as fresh air filled her lungs.

She reached out and grasped the hand that closed around hers. "Daisy," someone breathed close to her.

'Mom,' she said inside her head. 'You love me, right?' She was sure she was thinking it, not saying it.

"Daisy, don't you dare do that again, do you hear me?" Someone squeezed her hand again and she gave a weak squeeze in return.

She almost smiled at May's admonishment wondering what she could have done and promising herself she would definitely not do it again. 'I won't…I won't I promise. I'm sorry, I won't' she answered. If only she could make May hear her thoughts, now *that* would be power.

"You hold on, angel…" A second voice…that other voice…they were both there…both of them.

'Coulson? Coulson, no I'm not an angel…no, Coulson, see I'm in Hell. Angels don't go to Hell, Coulson…d-dad…you've always been dad, AC, always…but not an angel…angels are good, Coulson…not like me.'

"Come on, Daisy, stay with us, stay with us…" Coulson sounded like he was begging. He had tears in his voice.

Daisy wanted to smile…maybe she was smiling…she wasn't sure if she could feel her mouth…she really didn't feel anything except her throbbing head and maybe…just maybe she was getting used to it…yeah, she could live with it…maybe.

"Mom," she whispered and immediately felt the squeeze on her hand.

"I'm here," May answered, "we're here." A second hand covered hers.

Someone kissed her forehead. She didn't mind the pain. She cold smell his cologne. She knew it was him and she wanted nothing more than to escape into his strong embrace…to let him take away all the fear and just relax in his the protection of his arms. Dad…

It had been only ten minutes…ten very long minutes. Daisy had been resting. May's eyes were closed as she rested against Phil's shoulder, yet she wasn't sleeping merely running through her Tai Chi routine in her mind in an effort to control her anxiety. Phil's cheek was against May's head. He'd drifted off for a few minutes at a time, exhausted from his journey and the toll this was taking, but the sleep was fitful.

The blare of the monitors' alarms brought both agents to their feet. Jemma rushed into the room followed by three attendants. They pushed past May and Coulson to tend to the patient who was coding. Dr. Simmons barked orders that the others followed rapidly. One began CPR while a second covered Daisy's face with a mask and began forcibly squeezing a large ambu bag.

Phil and May were helpless as they watched the medical team work. He wrapped his arm around her as they stepped back and out of the way. When Jemma pulled out two metal paddles and screamed, 'clear' they could only watch as their girl's body flailed under the electric shock needed to restart her heart. May's voice caught in a quick sob as Jemma repeated the action a second time. Everyone flashed a relieved smile as Daisy drew a breath and the alarms on the monitors slowed to a steady beat.

"She's not, as you say, out of the woods, but she's stable." Jemma sounded cautious but optimistic as she checked the nearest monitor and turned toward them. "I'm going to reduce the morphine and hope she can bear the pain for a little longer. I'd like her to start waking up. She'll need constant monitoring."

"We aren't going anywhere." Coulson assured her as he took Daisy's hand. May stood at his side, her hand on top of his. She nodded.

"You have to sleep. I don't need two more patients." Jemma scolded.

"Bring in a cot. We'll relieve each other." Phil remarked without taking his eyes from the girl.

"You first," they said together then smiled.

"I'll leave you two to figure that out." Jemma smiled, still shaking with the after shock of Daisy's episode. She turned to one of the attendants clearing the room of the items that had been used from the crash cart. He would be sure to have the cot brought to the room.

"There's bugs in here." Daisy mumbled and everyone in the room turned toward the sound of her voice. "They bite." She commented almost pouting.

"Yes, they do." Jemma smiled at her friend then turned back to the older couple. "She is a bit drugged, a little fuzzy still. When she's fully awake we'll do a few cognitive tests. Until then pay more attention to how she speaks and not so much to what she says." Coulson nodded. "I know neither of you will even consider going for something to eat so I will bring in something for you and you will eat. Both of you." Jemma ordered and they both smiled in agreement.

"You love me, mom, right dad, right?" Daisy rambled.

"We love you, angel, that's right." Phil replied.

"I told that dumb nun you did…I told her." She mumbled.


	4. Chapter 4

"The procedure shouldn't take long," Jemma assured a nervous Coulson as they watched doctors prepare instruments inside a sterile pod. "She's been healing at an exponential rate, most likely due to her alien DNA…or perhaps the GH-325 that somehow remains in her system, but I suspect it may be a combination of both. You know when we gave it to her and she had no adverse reaction at all it probably just…" Coulson laid a hand on the young doctor's arm. Jemma only rambled when extremely anxious.

"It's okay, Jemma. We know she's in good hands." He spoke softly and held her elbow directing her toward the room where her one and only patient was being prepped for the procedure that would replace the piece of skull removed to prevent serious brain injury.

May stood by the girl's side causing extreme stress to the two level one techs that were tasked with the preparation. The taller tech wiped the sweat from his forehead for the third time carefully checking IV lines and infusers. The second tech's hands shook so violently she dropped the hypodermic to the floor then tipped a tray creating a staccato clanging as it hit the floor. She looked up as Simmons and Coulson entered the room. Tears formed in the girl's eyes as May crossed her arms over her chest and raised an eyebrow in silent chastisement.

"Both of you, out of here," Jemma ordered with quiet authority as she stepped toward Daisy's bed. The tall tech bent to pick up the scattered materials. "Leave it." She commanded. "I'll take care of this myself and speak with both of you, at length, later." She peered at them over her brow as they nodded then backed out of the room before disappearing down the hallway.

Phil gave a small grin. "Poor kids…"

"Lucky kids," May corrected without changing her position. She watched as Simmons opened drawers and cabinets preparing a replacement hypodermic and lifting the sheet to inject the young patient.

"Lucky?" Phil knit his brows as he turned toward May.

"Lucky you two came in when you did."

Daisy gave a soft moan and Jemma whispered a quick apology and rubbed the injection spot to help ease the sting. "Just one more for now and I promise no more for a while." She gave a sad smile and swabbed the site for the second injection.

May moved closer and took Daisy's hand. Despite the girl's semi-conscious state she squeezed the hand holding hers letting out another slightly louder moan as Jemma finished, pulled the sheet back over her patient and turned away for a moment.

"She'll be out in a few minutes and they'll come for her." She said turning back and giving Daisy's hand a quick squeeze. "She can hear you if you want to take a moment." She smiled and leaned closed to her friend. "You behave yourself in there or you and I will have words." She placed a soft kiss on the girl's temple and quickly wiped away a tear hoping the couple on the opposite side of the bed had not seen.

"We'll be here when you get back, angel. Listen to your doctor and be good." Coulson bent and kissed the girl's forehead.

"Don't you do anything stupid," May squeezed the girl's hand and felt the weakening squeeze in return. Her tone softened as she whispered close to Daisy's ear. "Wǒ ài nǐ, bǎo bǎo."

An older more experienced tech arrived at the door and smiled at their concerned faces. "We'll take good care of her." He smiled as he moved past them and used one foot to release the lock on the gurney's wheels. He quickly made sure all equipment was secure and easily pushed the patient toward the sterile treatment room. He nodded at Coulson as he passed. May remained along side the gurney, holding Daisy's hand and walking next to her until they reached the double glass doors and she could go no farther. Coulson was at her side with an arm around her shoulder, trying desperately to be the stronger one and knowing he was failing miserably.

Jemma pressed a button on the glass wall turning it opaque. "Come," she said simply, motioning toward the exit.

"Daisy! Daaaaaa-zeeeeeee," some oddly familiar voice called her in a silly sing-song rhythm. For a moment she wondered if someone was calling for their dog…huh, yeah Daisy was a good dog name. "Daaaaaaaaaaaaa-zeeeeeeeeeeee," it called again, a little closer but still in a soft sing-y voice. "Waky, waky."

She forced her eyes open and was surprised that the pain that had tortured for what seemed like months was almost bearable. She blinked a few times bringing things into focus. She wasn't quite sure where she was but it seemed safe. She also realized she was lying on the ground…again. This was getting tiring. Looking around quickly for some half-crazed, grudge-bearing nun she slowly pulled herself to stand. It actually felt weird to be upright, her legs were wobbly.

"DAISY!"

Daisy jumped as she turned toward the voice immediately recognizing it but not the person using it. She expected to see Cal…her crazy father but not the man who stood a few feet from her. He was…was bigger…yeah that was it…he was bigger, lots bigger. She quickly took inventory of her own body making sure that she was not smaller therefore making it appear that he was larger. Nope, everything was in place and as far as she could tell she was her normal size.

"I've missed you sooooo much!" He smiled at her and she noticed his teeth seemed almost comical, like those someone wears as a joke or maybe as part of a Halloween costume. She didn't answer, just stared taking in all that was…or wasn't him.

His hair was lighter and bushy, wild and uncombed. His suit didn't really fit; the sleeves were too short exposing his over-sized hands. 'Wow,' she thought, 'he could catch a fly-ball without a mitt!' and immediately shook off the thought at the site of his mangled discolored fingernails. She grimaced and took a step back, quickly glancing over her shoulder for a means of escape. She wasn't sure what had happened to him and didn't really want to stick around to find out. Because unless he was trying out for a part in the Hunchback of Notre Dame, he was pretty messed up.

"Daisy," he called again reaching out for her. His Neanderthal brows lifted slightly as he shuffled toward her.

"No way, Captain Caveman!" The girl turned intending to run, even with wobbly legs she was sure she could do better than he would. But stopped immediately before she crashed into…

"Daisy," the woman, who wasn't there a second ago, spoke softly, tilting her head to one side with a small smile. "We're here to take you home." She took the girl's hand in hers. Daisy tried to pull away but Cal was now behind her, his large hands on her shoulders. Without thinking she sent out a strong pulse of power intending to push both away. The sting in her thigh was intense and immediate. It stilled the pulse and brought her to her knees.

"These damn bugs!" She bellowed as she went down only realizing when she hit the ground that Cal and Jiaying were seated next to her.

"We've been searching everywhere for you, daughter." Jiaying smiled and reached out to stroke the girl's cheek. Her touch sent slivers of pain through Daisy's head. She shivered with the memory of this woman draining her life-force.

"We're going to take you home!" Cal exclaimed bouncing with crazed glee.

Daisy batted at the woman's hand and pushed herself away as Cal crab-crawled after her. "No, no…it's okay. We're all going together." He crooned, raising his hairy eyebrows.

"You belong with us, daughter." Jiaying took her hand a second time and Daisy felt as if it had been plunged into ice.

"No!" Daisy protested. "You…you're dead!" She stated matter-of-factly at Jiaying then turned to Cal who was much too close. "And you…" she tried to push him away and stand but Jiaying held her hand tightly. "You're…you're not…you're not…not r-r-right." She scrunched her face and ignored the pain it caused. "Let me go."

"You're coming with us." Jiaying still smiled and spoke in the quiet patronizing tone that now grated on Daisy's every nerve and sent waves of pain through her silently throbbing head.

"No…I'm not…" Daisy growled through her teeth, again trying to free her now numb hand.

"It's okay, Daisy. Once we get you home, you'll see everything will be fine. We took care of everything." Before she could stop him Cal scooped her up in his arms and held her close. Jiaying still held her hand. She kicked her feet and pounded on the creature's chest with her free hand but he just chuckled at her effort. Jiaying squeezed tighter and the intense ache and cold caused her to grit her teeth and squeeze her eyes tightly shut.

The same tech rolled the gurney back into the medical pod, moved all equipment back in place, checked the monitors and smiled at the small group that stood waiting. "She did great." He assured them. "We'll let her sleep for a bit before we start waking her." He nodded toward Jemma and walked out of the room.

May and Coulson moved to Daisy's side as Jemma double checked the monitors. The bandage around the girl's head was much smaller than it had been, gone was the turban of thick gauze. Replaced by a 'slice of bread' sized patch held in place by gauze wound around her head a few times. The swelling too had subsided replaced by the yellowing bruises that were slowly healing, but the girl was now recognizable and the remnants of her ordeal sent pistons of rage through the woman holding her hand.

"She's so cold." Coulson noticed.

"The piece they replaced has been kept frozen since…since the first procedure." Jemma changed course to save them from the technical aspects of a craniotomy. "It could be a short term side effect. Although I am sure it was quite cold in the treatment room as well. I will check her temperature and get another blanket." Jemma pulled a thermometer from one of the drawers and brought it to Daisy's ear. It beeped a few seconds later. "A bit elevated but nothing to worry about. We've been giving her some very strong antibiotics to ward off any infection." She smiled. "I'll get that blanket." She moved out of the room promising to return quickly.

"She seems so small." Coulson said before he realized he was speaking and not just thinking. He rubbed a hand over the light blanket that covered her legs. "We need to tell her, Mel. I don't know what's going to happen when she finally wakes up and I'm pretty sure Jemma is keeping some things to herself, but she needs to know the truth."

May closed her eyes and pursed her lips. She shook her head. "I'm not sure she'll believe us, Phil, not after all that's happened. Not after all this." She looked him in the eye and he was sure he saw unspent tears in his normally stoic partner.

"Maybe we all need to face some truths." He moved next to May and wrapped an arm around her shoulders. She relaxed in his embrace resting her head back against his shoulder.

"One truth?" She asked without turning toward him.

"One," he answered.

"We…all of us…get the monsters that did this. The hell with Mace and his platitudes, we get these bastards." He could feel her tense and gently rubbed his hand up and down her arm.

"One truth," he agreed desperately trying to contain his own rage. "I've got Mack on it. He's been to see Angie and Mario. As soon as she's conscious and I know for sure that she's on the mend, I'll join him."

"We'll join him."

Daisy opened her eyes.

"Join us, daughter." Jiaying sat at a long table, Cal at the opposite end. She motioned toward a third chair placed at the side of the table, midway between them. Daisy stood frozen in place. She looked from one to the other, moving only her eyes.

He still looked like Neandro-Cal and Daisy really had a hard time watching him. Did he have blood on his sleeve…on his shirt? Was it there before? She forced herself to look harder. No it was fresh, still wet, still bright red…not that brown chocolaty color of dried blood. She looked at the table in front of him where several very sharp and bloody surgical instruments were spread in an arc.

"No more trouble," he sang as he rocked back and forth like a kid waiting for a special treat. She looked toward Jiaying who smiled and tilted her head in a way that made Daisy cringe. "Trouble's all gone. No more worries, no more choices. Now you are all my little girl. He can't take you away anymore."

Daisy felt the panic rise in her gut. "Who? Who's gone?" She stepped toward Crazy Caveman Cal and almost tripped over something on the floor. She looked down and blinked in disbelief, in shock, in horror."

"COULSON! Coulson!" She dropped to her knees sliding in the slick puddle that surrounded the man on the floor. It spread out around him like a deep red aura. "No….no, no, no…." she pulled at his arm rolling him to his back and looked at his colorless eyes, his face set in a permanent look of horror. His shirt was soaked in the same red liquid. She shook him, grabbing the shirt and lifting him then lowering him back gently. She pulled his lifeless form into her lap and wailed, barely able to breathe. "What…what…why…what did you do? Why?" She wrapped her arms around his head and kissed him over and over, sobbing uncontrollably. "I…I'm sorry…I'm so sorry…Coulson…I'm sorry I never told you…Please…please Coulson…don't be d…"

"No more worries…bye, bye blackbird…" Cal sang as he wiped his murder weapons with a dirty rag. He stopped and smiled at her. "Now you don't have to choose. Pretty pity Phil is NOT your father and I fixed it all. No more…no more bad guy."

Daisy hugged the form and rocked back and forth. "No…no…" She raised her hand and tried to send out a wave of power but nothing…not even a small wiggle.

"No, no, little girl, can't do that to Daddy!" He scolded and shook a finger at her although he was still singing and rocking and wiping and laughing.

A soft thump behind her made her turn quickly. "NO!" She screamed at the sight as Jiaying stood and backed away from the purplish-gray form on the floor. Daisy quickly crawled across the room to a second body, smaller…dressed in black…MAY! "Oh God! Oh God, please, please NO!" She was crying so hard she could barely breathe, barely see but she knew it was May. She scrambled to her side and slid her blood covered fingers along the woman's jaw searching for any sign of a pulse…a pulse she knew would not be there. May's eyes stared into nothingness, her face scrunched in unfathomable pain…pain that Daisy knew well. She pulled the woman close to her unconcerned with the blood that covered most of her own clothing. "May…no….I…need…"

"You don't need them, daughter." Jiaying spoke softly as if it were nothing more than a skinned knee. "We're your parents, Daisy. We have brought you home."

"Best day ever!" Cal sang and clapped his bloody hands together.

Daisy pulled May's body close and wept uncontrollably.

Alarms blared bringing several techs into the room followed closely by Jemma who dropped the blanket she carried on the closest chair as she bolted past May and Coulson. Both stepped back and away as the team went to work.

"I don't think this is medical." Jemma spoke above the sound of the alarms. "It may have something to do with Daisy's system itself. Much like the way she reacted when she…" The girl stopped herself faced with the memory of almost losing her friend the first time. "We don't want her to seize, that would be highly detrimental." She turned to the nearest tech. "Get me the anti-seizure cart stat!" The tech moved quickly exiting the room and returning with a tray that she set on the counter near Dr. Simmons. The other techs left the room, dismissed by the doctor as the monitor alarms quieted. "We need to keep her calm." Jemma informed the older couple, watching as the machine monitoring heart rate and blood pressure continued to beep rapidly.

May moved to the side of the bed and took Daisy's hand in both of her own, placing one on top and one on her palm. "Shhhhh," she tried and looked at the monitor for a reaction.

Coulson took his place on the opposite side of the bed also grabbing the girl's hand, careful not to disturb the IV inserted there. He placed a hand on her wrist as added support.

"Daisy…" May tried to keep the terror out of her tone. She took a breath to calm herself "Dais…Skye…" She whispered the name that she still held close to her heart. 'Skye' happy and snarky...'Skye' pulling pranks and finding the best in everyone…'Skye' who wormed her way past all of her defenses and set up camp right inside her heart. "You need to calm down, bǎo bǎo. Shhhh. I told you I'd be here, right here. "Shhhhh." May placed a hand on Daisy's chest, over her heart and patted gently. "Shhhh."

Coulson watched, suddenly speechless as opposed to May's sudden need to elaborate. He reached and placed his hand lightly on top of May's allowing her to raise and lower it with hers. He squeezed Daisy's fingers with the other hand. "Come on, angel." He whispered. "You'll be okay." He wasn't sure if he was reassuring Daisy or trying to tell himself that she would.

 _"Shhhhh"_

Daisy heard the sound but could not find the source. She drew a deep breath trying to control her crying and forced herself to look again at May's dead form. Her arms were empty. The body gone…not in her arms…not on her lap…not on the floor. The spun toward Coulson's body but it too was gone along with the sticky puddle it lay in on the floor. She looked at her own hands and clothes…clean…no blood. Cal sat in the same place smiling at her with that same crazed look but the blood was also gone from his hands and from his clothing.

"All gone," he said in the same tone someone would use with a toddler.

"What did you do with them!? YOU BRING THEM BACK!" She screamed so hard her throat ached.

"Now, now young lady," Cal tsked with that unholy smile plastered on his face. "Is that anyway to talk to your parents? You don't want us to have to punish you now, do you?" He raised his large eye brows and looked more menacing that she remembered.

"Your father is right, daughter. You need to show at least a bit of respect." Jiaying's voice had not changed. She remained calm and serene…so serene it was unnerving.

Daisy pulled herself to her feet and balled her hands into fists at her sides. "YOU ARE NOT MY PARENTS!" She roared. "YOU WERE NEVER MY PARENTS."

 _"Shhhhhh, shhhh…."_

The sound…the shush…it brought a strange calmness to her. "My parents…you killed them…you killed my parents."

 _"We're here, bǎo bǎo. Please calm down. Shhhh"_

"This is so wrong. I don't belong here." Daisy sobbed beside herself. "I want…I need to go home." She rubbed her temples trying to erase the vision of dead May…of bloody Coulson…of the empty crushing ache it caused. She never told them the truth…the truth about how she felt… about how much she cared about them and how she wished…wished more than anything that they were the parents she found. That they WERE the parents she found. Why didn't she tell them…let them be…let them help her heal. Why did she run from the only people who ever care so much…whoever meant so very much to her?

"Oh, daughter," Jiaying stepped close and ran the side of her hand along Daisy's cheek, sending a chill through the girl, a chill so deep that her teeth hurt. "My beautiful daughter, you should have thought of that before you ran from those people…"

"STOP CALLING ME THAT!" Daisy scared herself realizing how much she sounded like the crazed man-thing still seated at the table softly humming to himself. The slap across her cheek was so fast and so severe she could not remember how she found herself on the floor. She put her fingers to the frozen sting that was her cheek and stared at the woman who still wore a peaceful smile.

"You will show your mother respect." Cal shook his head and sniggered.

Daisy looked up at the woman and rubbed her burning cheek. "You will NEVER EVER be my mother." She spoke through her teeth as she struggled to move away. "You're just…just a…a container that I grew inside…once I was free…I…you…"

Jiaying reached and pulled the girl up by the scruff of her neck, raising her off the ground with ease all while still smiling that patient, calm grin. Daisy kicked her feet wildly and gasped for a fresh breath.

"Uh-oh," Cal laughed drawing little circle on the table top with his fingers. "You're in trouble now." His tone was the same as those kids in the playground and his body shook with a silent giggle but he did not look toward them.

"You made your choice, daughter," Jiaying was now wearing a much more evil smile although her tone had not changed. She dropped the girl to the floor and turned away. "Come, Cal," She spoke to the man for the first time. "We will give this child time to reflect." She moved to the large double doors without turning back. The large creature that was Cal schlepped behind her stopping to give a little finger wave before exiting and pulling the door closed behind him.

Daisy slipped to the floor and wept bitterly.

 _"Listen…listen, angel…you have to hold on. You are so strong. We're right here for you."_

"I'm not an angel, Coulson. You know that." She answered the voice she heard lifting her head and looking around the room for its source. She rubbed the back of her neck and tried to shake off the dull throb in her head.

 _"Daisy, you listen to me…don't you do anything stupid…you need to wake up now, right now!"_

"I'm trying not to be stupid, May, but…but…oh, May I really screwed up…really bad…don't be mad at me May…don't be mad…" She tried to be strong, to remain as stoic as her mentor but the tears would not be contained.

May was dead…Coulson…Coulson was gone. This was wrong. She didn't want to be here. She wanted to go home…did she have a home? No, Daisy the orphan…Mary Sue the kid no one wanted had no home…had no one.

But she did. Skye did. Yes, yes she did she had a May and a Coulson and Simmons and Fitz and Mack and no…no…they didn't want her…not really…not anymore…not since she…she didn't deserve any of them…not anymore

She was Daisy…and those monsters were her parents and there was no way out.

There was no way out…no way….

"No way out," Daisy mumbled weakly. Her voice was small and childlike.

"What…what did you say, bǎo bǎo?" May was at her side, comforting and drawing her back to consciousness. "It's okay. Tell me what you need." Her voice was quiet and calm, close to Daisy's ear.

"Wanna go home…" She mumbled the words so quietly neither Coulson nor May could make them out, but they drew hope from the fact she was trying.

"Come on, Daisy. It's time to wake up. You've slept enough, angel." Coulson urged.

"Angel," the girl repeated in a sobbing whisper, "not a g-g-gel." She pressed back into the pillows and tossed her bandaged head side to side as if trying to shake something off or away.

"Shhhh," Coulson quickly placed a strong hand along side her face. "Shhhhh, it's okay. Come on, Daisy, open your eyes for me. Come on, open those angel eyes." He too spoke quietly, coaxing the girl awake. "Simmons," he turned to the young doctor who stood with unshed tears brimming in her eyes.

Back in the locked room Daisy lay on the floor silently sobbing…listening to the crackle of silence around her. She slowly sat up and wiped her eyes with her sleeve, criss-crossing her legs in front of her. She stared at the double wooden door and its giant black iron hinges. It looked so much like something from a kid's movie…like a castle door.

'Hate this,' she told herself. 'Why did I have to come here? I need to go home. This is not my home. I hate this.' The thought ran through her head over and over like a broken recording on a wobbly loop.

Slowly she raised both arms and aimed for the large door. She'd fight her way out if she needed to, it mattered not whom she needed to fight. She'd use the power she possessed to free herself. Gathering all the energy she could she pushed the force toward the door.

The room rumbled with her force, utensils bounced across the table, Cal's abandoned instruments clanked to the floor, chairs tipped over and the door rattled as if the hammers of hell pounded on its exterior, but it held fast.

Pain…intense hot pain radiated through Daisy's fingers through her hands and up her arms as if bolts of molten lead had been injected in her veins. She grit her teeth and tried desperately to hold her ground ignoring too the sharp sting in her thigh and the paralyzing grip on both of her hands. The pain morphed into a buzz…a deafening buzz that ran along her collarbone and inched its way to her neck on its way to the throb still residing in her skull. Even if the door did not collapse, she was sure the effort would take her last breath and finally all this would end.

She could go back to the other hell and contend with Sr. Regina and…and the buzz was so loud it was crushing her…she could no longer hold the pulsation and dropped hard to the floor, surrendering to the blackness that engulfed her.

Daisy thrashed suddenly agitated and struggled to rise but dropped back violently to the mattress. May and Coulson each grabbed a hand and placed the other on a shoulder in an attempt to calm her. Alarms began sounding as techs raced forward with a crash cart.

"Simmons!" May turned the cold hand she held in her own over allowing Jemma to watch the dark purple lines and blotches that were quickly forming and racing up Daisy's arm. Coulson turned the hand he held and revealed a mirror image on the other.

"We can't let this reach her skull! She can't take it."

Coulson let go of the hand he held and placed both hands on Daisy's shoulders. May moved to the girl's legs and placed her hands on Daisy's knees holding her fast. Despite her appearance nothing shook or trembled in the small room.

"She's directing her power inward." Simmons called over the din of the alarms.

"Daisy," Coulson pleaded close to the girl's ear. "Daisy you have to stop. You're safe. We're trying to help you." He increased his hold as she struggled to free herself from his grip.

"I'm so sorry Daisy." Jemma almost sobbed. "I didn't want to have to sedate her again." She spoke to May who was struggling to hold down the girl's legs.

"The bruising is on her neck!" Coulson warned, his voice losing its calm.

"Simmons!"

Jemma drew a sedative into a hypodermic and quickly threw back the light blanket covering her patient. The doctor stabbed the hypo into the girl's thigh and pushed the plunger. Daisy stopped struggling for a millisecond, barely registering the shot Jemma had administered. She struggled against the hold on her for a moment more before dropping into unconsciousness.

Alarms screamed as the conscious members in the room held their collective breath. The pitch reached a feverish squeal before dropping into a single sustained drone as all lines went flat before resuming a steady rhythm once again.

Coulson and May held each other's gaze, their hands still resting on the girl's shoulders and knees respectively.

"I need a portable x-ray and casting materials, STAT!" Jemma barked and two techs scrambled to follow her orders. She turned to the couple now staring at her.

"What the HELL was that?" May demanded as she slowly slid her hands away from Daisy and stepped toward Jemma. Coulson's arms seemed locked in place as he stared at the pained expression on the now calm girl's face. Jemma remained speechless as May passed her and slid her hands down Coulson's arms to the backs of his hands.

"It's okay, Phil. You can let her go. She's okay." May spoke quietly to him, massaging the backs of his hands until he relaxed. She took his hands in her own and turned him toward her stung by the pained look in his eyes. "She's calm now, Phil." Despite her racing heart she tried to calm him as well, holding his hands close to her chest and lightly kissing the tips of his fingers. "She's okay." She whispered, not even realizing the tears streaming over her cheeks.

He slowly pulled his hands from hers and wrapped his arms around her, pulling her close enough to feel the soft sobs she tried to hide.

"I need you to step out for a bit." Jemma stated in a professional voice as techs rolled in a large device and another cart of supplies. One leaned close and spoke to her softly. She nodded then turned to the couple who she knew would otherwise refuse to leave Daisy's side. "I need to perform a few tests and I'll have to cast both her arms. It will take at least an hour perhaps more. In the meantime, the director wishes to see both of you. I'm afraid I have to insist." She did not have to wait long for a response

"Simmons, if you think for one minute…" May stepped out of Coulson's embrace, turning on the young doctor. She hadn't forgotten Simmons was now her superior; she just did not give a damn.

"Melinda," Coulson tugged at her wrist until she faced him. "Let Jemma do her job. She'll let us know immediately if anything changes. She's doing her best. Daisy needs her now."

May swallowed her comment and gave a curt nod allowing Coulson to lead her from the room. She stopped him at the door and turned back to Jemma. "I know you're only doing what you have to, Simmons. I…I'm sorry." With that she exited quickly regretting the fact that she would now have to face that moron, Mace.

Daisy swam back toward the fuzzy light in the distance hoping it was all some awful nightmare and she'd wake in her own b…well in some bed somewhere other than the floor of Jiaying's temple prison. Before she opened her eyes she knew that wasn't the case. She could feel the hard wood that was the floor and smell the acrid incense that permeated the room. It was quite nauseating. Her arms ached with waves of burning pressure and the pain that was her head had returned with intense vigor. Tears ran down her cheeks, not from crying but brought on by the immense pain she bore. She blinked them away and struggled to get to her feet without the use of her arms. Balance was difficult, more so that she thought it would be without using her upper limbs but she got up and made it to the door giving it a hard kick.

It was like slamming into a giant Redwood and the vibrations of pain rang through every nerve in her body. It took all of her will to remain upright. She turned and walked the few steps to the edge of the platform in front of the massive door. This part of the floor was stone, unlike the wooden floor of the rest of the room. It was empty except for the large table and the three chairs that now lay on their sides. One chair was cracked. Its leg turned at an odd angel and the seat lying a few inches away. For a moment the story of Goldilocks flit through her mind.

"Some fairytale," she grimaced wishing she could rub the throb that was her left elbow but knowing it would bring agony to her right. If Cal and/or Jiaying came back…and they certainly would at some point…she was defenseless. She stepped down onto the wooden floor before sitting on the cold rock step.

"Your powers don't work cuz you don't believe they will." She spun around expecting to see Jiaying but realized the voice was that of a small child. "You can't do anything if you don't believe." Daisy turned again as the voice came from another corner of the room. "You think you're in the wrong place." Again she turned and tried to focus on the blurry image of the small girl that stood across the room. The little girl smiled. "But you're not. You're right where you're sposed to be…you know that."

Daisy watched as the child skipped across the floor and stopped in front of her. She looked up and smiled then folded herself into a seated position on the floor and patted the spot next to her. "We need to talk." She stated as she pushed her dark hair away from her eyes.


	5. Chapter 5

Director Jeffrey Mace stood in what was once Phil Coulson's office staring out of the window. He did not turn as Coulson and May were escorted into his office. They stood watching him, waiting for whatever nonsense he was about to spill or whatever order they were about to disobey because they were definitely not going anywhere until they were sure Daisy was safe. She would not be safe anywhere near Mace.

The Director brought his hands behind his back and clasped them at the base of his spine. Coulson and May took a deep breath in tandem, exhaling in the same fashion. This in itself showed their united front and Mace already knew he could do very little to influence either of them.

"Talbot has no idea, Agent Johnson is here." He stated blankly without turning around.

May and Coulson exchanged glances and waited for him to continue. The silence in the room grew deafening. Coulson broke it. "If that's all you wanted, we have somewhere else to be. And excuse me…did you just say _Agent_ Johnson?"

"I understand." Mace answered still staring out at the blue sky and ignoring his question. The couple shrugged their eyebrows and turned to leave. "I understand a lot more than I did before." Mace continued.

Coulson stopped with his hand on the doorknob and turned back. May closed her eyes in an effort to calm herself. "If you have something to say, say it. Otherwise we're leaving." Coulson's tone left no room for argument.

"I've spoken to former Agent Martinelli." He turned but did not make eye contact. "She still has a lot of pull around here." He managed a weak smile. The couple did not return it, merely stood waiting for him to make his point. "I just wanted you both to know that she's safe here. No one will touch her. You have my guarantee." He smiled again.

"Too little, too late, Mace," Melinda growled. "Your guarantees are worthless. We all know you're nothing more than Talbot's puppet and who the hell knows who's pulling his strings." Vehemence dripped from her stinging comment.

Mace's face was beginning to hurt from smiling. He nodded and scuffled from foot to foot keeping his head down to hide the blush he could feel rising.

"I have to agree with May." Coulson added making a visible effort to keep the animosity out of his own voice. "And still I have no idea why you called us here, but…" Suddenly he had a thought, a chilling thought and he moved closer to the Director balling his fists and causing May to tense into a defensive stance. "If this is some half-assed maneuver to do anything with Daisy while you keep us here…I swear they'll scrape you up with a toy shovel and drop you in a plastic sand bucket after you bounce off that concrete four hundred feet below us. Powered or not, Mace, I'll throw your ass out that window and beat you to the ground just so I can watch you splatter!" May moved to his side, the look in her eyes enough threat. She needed no words.

Mace raised his hands in front of him, that moronic smile once again spreading across his face. "I assure you, I have no ulterior motives. Daisy…er, ah, Agent Johnson is safe. I've posted a guard outside the med bay. No one gets in without my…I mean without your…both of you…your permission. That includes Talbot and any of his associates."

For a moment the three simply stared at each other…each daring the other to give in first.

"What's the catch?" May sneered without backing down.

Mace smiled that broad pasted on grin. "No catch, Agent May, none whatsoever." He shook his head and for some reason May had a fleeting memory of a used car salesman her father dealt with when she was just learning to drive. She shook it off and fought the urge to knock that insipid smirk off the man's face.

"Why the change of…dare I say…heart?" Coulson added with his own smirk now in place. "A bit of solidarity for a fellow inhuman or do you have some other plan up that covert sleeve?"

"That's no way to build trust, Phil." The director countered turning his head at an odd angle to peer at his adversary

"Afraid I've mislaid those blueprints, Jeff." Coulson volleyed back emphasizing the 'f' in the man's given name. May folded her arms over her chest and glared.

"Ha," Mace gave a grunt but knew he was no match for Coulson's brand of sarcasm. "I know you ran the place a bit differently than I do, Phil but that's just the way it is. What I'm having a hard time saying is that…" He paused and looked at Coulson and then to May who still glared. He was pretty sure they wouldn't believe anything he had to say. "That…Talbot is not behind this. Again he doesn't even know we…I mean _you_ found her."

"Actually, that was Martinelli…" Coulson corrected.

"Right…that's right," Mace agreed and moved on without missing a beat, "by the time he, Talbot has any idea there'll be nothing he can do. I just need your help with one thing…"

"And there it is!" May threw her hands up and turned away in disgust.

"We have no intention of getting inv…" Coulson began, advancing once again on the taller man.

Mace reached for a file on his desk then held it out in front of him. "Wait…just wait, hear me out, please." He turned and dropped the file on the empty desk, opened it and spread the papers across the surface. "It is covert…but not the way you think." He seemed nervous. Newspaper clippings blaring the exploits of 'Quake', police reports and a rather sinister photo of their girl were among the forms he leafed through.

Coulson and May exchanged glances and stepped forward.

Daisy stared at the small girl that sat on the cold stone next to her. Although the child wore only a light cotton smock and no shoes or socks she did not seem to mind the chilly room. She looked more like she was ready to spend the day at the beach than to sit in this cold prison cell.

The child reached out and took Daisy's hands before she could pull them away. She cringed expecting pain that never came. The girl's touch was gentle and warm. When she released Daisy hands the pain had dissipated although the bruising and mottling remained. She rubbed her hands over her arms feeling for the pressure casts that were not there and furrowed her brows at the smiling child.

"Feels better, huh?" The little girl giggled.

"How'd you get in here?" Daisy wondered out loud.

"You let me in." The child answered as if Daisy should have known. She picked at a small scab on her knee. "See this," she pointed to the inch long cut and Daisy leaned over to examine it. "I fell on the playground. I didn't even cry, got my own band aid, too." She grinned with pride

"What are you doing here?" Daisy asked, confusion messing with her throbbing skull as she scratched at the spot where a thin scar marred her knee. "You shouldn't even be in a place like this."

"Welllllll…you're here." The child pointed out smiling at Daisy through her much too long bangs.

"Yeah," Daisy agreed massaging her temples. "Well, I wasn't given much of a choice and I don't even know how the hell I got here. Do you have a name?"

"That's a dumb question and you shouldn't say hell. The sisters'll wash your mouth out…again." The little girl shook her head and stared for a moment before continuing. "Of course I have a name. I got lots of 'em, don't you?" Daisy stopped rubbing her head and tried to focus on the girl. "Today I'm Harriet. Lot's of people don't like that name but I do and I need it today cuz today I am working in espee-o-nodge."

"Today…today you're Harriet?" Daisy closed her eyes. "You have a different name for different days?"

"Yep," the girl popped the 'p' loudly causing Daisy to jump a bit. "Don't you?" She asked as if she didn't believe it. She pushed her legs out straight in front of her and wiggled her toes. "Yesterday I was Annie cuz I was looking for somebody, but you already founded them. Tomorrow…I didn't decide yet what it will be, but it will be something fantastic…or wonderful." She spread her arms up and out as if she were about to give a cheer, finished with pride then stood up and walked to the table where the sharp instruments had fallen to the floor.

"Why are _you_ here?" She asked as she squatted down to examine the shiny articles, poking at them with one finger.

"Hey," Daisy warned, trying to stand and sitting back down twice before succeeding. "Don't touch that…you'll hurt yourself."

"Like you?" The girl called Harriet asked.

"What? No." Daisy answered.

"They hurt you…those bad people. You need to make them go away. You know that, right?"

"I thought they were gone." Daisy sighed. "Guess they're just part of my own private Hell."

"You said it again," the little girl tsked. "Didn't you learn the last time? Boy, are you dopey."

"Last time?" Daisy groaned squeezing her eyes shut to squash the pain in her head.

The child stood up and turned back toward the older girl. "This isn't Hell, you know. You think it is but that's just you thinking it or maybe dreaming it, cuz you're not dead…just kinda… sleeping." She nodded in agreement with herself and hopped across the floor on one foot then two as if she were playing hopscotch.

"Yeah, well if that's the case, I'd kinda like to wake up…anytime now." Daisy huffed wondering if this kid ever stopped moving.

"You can't." The little girl shook her head. "Cuz you keep letting them bugs bite you cuz you keep fighting and you just need to let them in."

"The bugs?" Now Daisy was confused. She rubbed her temples again and wished for some Tylenol…or Motrin…or even a damn baby aspirin…

The girl bent over with laughter. "No, silly," she squeaked, "your mom and dad. They're Jemma's bugs anyways and she's just tryin' to help."

Daisy didn't answer just pictured again the monstrous couple gloating over the broken bodies of May and Coulson. What had they done with their bodies? How would she ever explain what happened? If the new director threw her into some god-forsaken cell or sealed her in some gel matrix like that bastard Hive, she deserved it. She'd destroyed every little bit of good she had been given, slowly and methodically she was responsible for their demise. She brought her hands to her heart, the pain was crushing and each breath intensified that pain. She belonged here in this Hell and yes…in Hell it did hurt to be dead.

"You didn't say why you're here." The little girl interrupted her train of thought suddenly standing right next to her and staring up at her.

"I…they brought me here." She answered without thinking.

"You let them." The child accused.

"I couldn't stop them."

"You didn't even try." Now she stood on the opposite side.

"Yes, I did."

"Didn't," she danced in a circle around Daisy to music apparently only she could hear.

"Did"

"Didn't," the child spun around causing her smock to spread in a circle around her.

"DID!"

The girl stopped, turned her head to one side and came into focus. Daisy realized the child was Asian. At least part Asian. Probably one of Jiaying's little minions…probably not even a real child…probably…oh, gawd could she _be_ Jiaying…did she have _that_ kind of power? If it didn't hurt so much she'd shake her head to clear her thoughts.

The little girl pinched her face into a comical scowl. "You think too much, now. That's why your head hurts. We didn't used to think so much." She tapped a finger on the side of her own head. "No, tomorrow I will not be Jiaying." She growled a little puppy growl as she walked away from Daisy. "We won't ever be Jiaying." She snarled over her shoulder as she skipped away. It seemed too resentful to be coming from such a little kid.

"My head hurts because some damn bastard tried to crack open my skull." Then looked at the child wondering where that last comment had come from…could the kid read minds, too? And why… Was she saying, 'we'?

"You said another bad word," the little girl shook her head and looked forlorn. "You better wise up, Missy!" She shook a finger at the older girl then quickly switched gears. "Really? Did they really crack your head? You mean like Humpty Dumpty? Lemme see!" The little girl's eyes grew wide. "Can I see?" She moved closer to Daisy and pulled on her jacket, standing on her tiptoes in an effort to look at her head.

"No-wa!" Daisy flagged her away and blew a frustrated breath over her lips. "Did they send you here to torture me?"

The child laughed a full belly laugh. "No, silly they didn't send me here, _you_ let me in. Member?"

"Listen kid," Daisy suddenly felt very tired, "I am pretty sure I didn't 'let you in' because if I could let you in then I would certainly let myself out."

"Right," the little girl smiled.

May and Coulson walked back into Daisy's room. The girl lay still on the bed now encased in sleeve-like casts that reached from across her collar bones to the tips of her fingers on both hands. It looked like she wore a sweat shirt that had had the body piece ripped away.

"The design of this pressure cast gives her the ability to move without making her injuries worse. She'll have to wear it for quite some time, I'm afraid." Jemma explained. "She has hundreds of fractures, as you've probably guessed, but thankfully none on or even near her neck or skull. The procedure from this morning is in tact as well. I guess we did get a bit lucky."

Phil dropped the file he had been carrying under his arm on the small table across from the bed. "Apparently, the new director had a change of heart." He nodded toward the file and Jemma picked it up. She asked for permission with her eyes and he again nodded. She opened the file and scanned the first few forms then looked up wide eyed.

"Is this legitimate? Can he do this?" She asked, trying not to let her excitement show.

"I'm sure Agent Martinelli was very instrumental in the whole thing." May added before Coulson affirmed what Jemma imagined.

"This keeps her safe. Makes her legitimate, makes her Agent Daisy Johnson, again." Phil did not sound as thrilled as the young doctor thought he should sound. "I plan on having a little chat with Miss Martinelli myself when this is over." He looked at May and caught her subtle nod.

"Then he's given her a reprieve?" Jemma asked, leafing quickly through the file.

"He'll announce she's been undercover…working off the grid since…since"

"Since Lincoln," May finished for him.

Jemma smiled a half-hearted sad smile. No one needed to say what they all thought. All of this would be moot if Daisy herself did not agree to it…if she refused to come home…home where she belonged. She thought it best to change the subject.

"I've completed a few tests and as I suspected there is no evidence of infection or further swelling. I think she's just having a hard time fighting her way back to consciousness. It can happen. We need to keep talking to her…keep drawing her back. I plan to wean her off the sedatives. I've spoken to Fitz. He's working on a new set of gauntlets. Hopefully, he'll have them by the end of the week. Most importantly we cannot let her use her powers, at all. Another episode like this morning and I'm not sure what I will be able to do. It could k…" She stopped herself, not wanting to so much as think about what could happen and certainly not wanting to plant that seed in May or Coulson's minds. They had enough to worry about right now.

Jemma had felt for years, well in all honesty since the first few weeks Daisy, then Skye, had joined the team that Coulson had some sort of connection with her. When she and Fitz found out that Skye was, in fact, a foundling, they had taken bets on whether or not Coulson was her long lost father and that lead to May, of course, being her mother. Both were broken-hearted when Cal turned out to be that parent and although Jemma had never met Jiaying she had a deep hatred for the woman. As far as Jemma was concerned, and she kept this as close to her heart as any secret she ever had, May and Coulson were Daisy's parents. They deserved each other and needed each other just as much. The only other person who felt this strongly about their relationship and was trusted with Jemma's secret was Fitz. Jemma would not let any of them down.

Coulson nodded as Jemma's comment fell away. He knew but refused to believe that they were that close to losing Daisy. May stepped closer to the bed and rested her hand on Daisy's leg. It was no longer possible to hold her hand. Only her finger tips poked out of the casts on both hands with a small opening on one to allow the IV access. "You get back here, nan nan, we have a lot to talk about."

"Your mother really wants to talk to you, you know, and you need to go back to her." Harriet, the little girl, announced as she plopped back down on the stone step.

"I have nothing to say to her," Daisy moaned as she too sat on the step again. "She was never my mother." She spit out as she dropped her head onto her hands and rested her elbows on her knees.

"Not that mother," the little girl took a deep breath, sucked in her bottom lip and rolled her eyes. "Geez, you're so dumb sometimes, Daisy. You're Daisy today, right?"

"Yes," Daisy couldn't remember telling the kid her name, but everything was so fuzzy she couldn't remember much of anything. "Who else would I be?" Daisy had jumbled memories of names she had tried out during her younger days. Some were so exotic and some just run of the mill. It seemed that every time she read a book or saw some crazy movie she'd adopt that name and try it out for a day or so. She called herself Max after seeing the movie version of Where the Wild Things Are* and used Alexander for a week after reading about his no good, very bad day.* She'd been Ramona, Margaret, Meg and even, for a little while just plain Mary after reading The Secret Garden*. No one ever really listened or would agree to address her with that moniker but she liked it anyway regardless of the number of times she was punished for not answering to her given name.

"You know why I'm Harriet today?" The little girl waited for a reply resting her chin on her hand and staring at the older girl. Daisy only shook her head. "Cuz I'm a spy today, like Harriet in the book…like you."

"I'm not a spy, kid. I'm not anything." Daisy grumbled pushing ancient memories aside.

"That's silly. Everybody's somebody. You like to read books. Do you know that Mr. Jarvis had a daughter?" Harriet seemed to bounce from topic to topic. It made Daisy dizzy.

Daisy turned her head without lifting it. "Please go away." She whined.

"Nope" The little girl popped. "We got work to do, you and me." She pointed to Daisy and then to herself.

"There is NO WAY out of here, kid. So if you have some secret passage, please use it." She immediately regretted yelling as her voice bounced around in her head like a BB in a boxcar. And every ping hurt more than the one before.

"You know the secret. You just never told anybody, but they know." Harriet's voice sounded tinny mixed in with all the ricocheting in her brain.

Daisy really wanted to cry. She wanted to shout that she had no secrets but that would be a lie and shouting would really hurt and probably stir up all those BB's. She pressed her hands against her face attempting to hold her head together.

"Your parents are waiting for you, Daisy. Come on, let's go." Harriet urged pulling on Daisy's hand.

"They know where I am. Let them come and get me." She mumbled through her hands.

"They're trying, but you have to let them in." Harriet pulled harder causing Daisy's body to rock back and forth.

Daisy was surprised at the lack of pain and suddenly had the thought that Satan was not a crazed nun but a blabber-mouth little mostly Asian girl who couldn't sit still to save her soul.

 _'Mary Sue Poots! You are nothing but a blabber-mouth trouble-maker that cannot sit still to save your soul!' Sr. Regina admonished as she yanked the small girl from the church and dragged her by the arm toward certain punishment._

Harriet put her hands over her ears and grimaced at the sound of the nun's voice as it echoed in their stone chamber. "That was awful, wasn't it? She was pretty mean and swung a wicked paddle, too. You…well, actually *we* didn't sit down at all that day." Harriet shook her head.

Daisy raised her brows and stared at the little girl.

"I'm not a mind reader." The kid smiled. "I just think the same as you, member too."

"Well, angel…here we are," Coulson spoke to the girl seemingly asleep yet attached to tubes and wires that wound around the bed and connected to the blipping monitors at his side. It had been three days and she still remained the same although the bruises on her face had all but healed. She looked peaceful and he felt almost guilty disturbing her, yet she needed to wake.

"I wonder if anyone ever read to you, tucked you in, kissed you goodnight." He bent over and kissed her forehead. She swallowed, whimpered softly and tried to move closer to him, but remained deep in semi-comatose sleep. That's what they were calling it now…a semi-coma.

"I would have." He whispered to her. "I would have hugged you and kissed you and carried you on my shoulders and tucked you in and…well we would have done a lot of things, but now…now." He stopped himself, realizing it was much too late to do any of the things a father would do with his little girl and for just a moment he sympathized with Cal, felt the same loss that he must have felt…when he was lucid. Coulson closed his eyes and pictured himself holding Daisy's tiny hand as she took her first steps, as he walked with her to her first day of school and the first time she threw her arms around him before that fateful trip to Puerto Rico. He wished he had hugged her back. It wasn't that he didn't want to, she had surprised him…shocked him really and it was so quick he barely had time to react. He would never take another of her hugs for granted. It was time, as soon as she was able to listen…to understand. 'Please God,' he prayed for the first time in more years than he could count, 'please let her be able to understand…please.' He gently squeezed the girl's hand and swallowed the tears about to fall.

"I am going to read to you. I don't know what you like but we'll start off easy and build up. So, you just listen and hey, if you don't like it just speak up and we'll find something else." He brushed a stray hair from her face and sat on the chair close to the bed opening the cover on the brightly colored hard-cover book. " _In the great green room there was a telephone and a red balloon and a picture of - the cow jumping_ _over the moon…_ "*

May stood inside the door, smiling. "She's not four-years-old, Phil." She shook her head as he nodded, pushed up his glasses and continued.

"Look it's working!" Harriet squealed as she pointed at the red balloon that bounced against the ceiling. Daisy watched as it drifted across the room, a long string dangling like a skinny tail. She'd wonder how the damn thing got in but then she'd also have to think about why the dark grey walls were now a bright lime green.

"Hey, I wonder if that works!" Harriet exclaimed as she dashed across the floor and picked up the receiver on a rotary phone that had to be at least fifty years old. "It's not even a fake one…look it really does work!" She put her finger into one of the circles and pulled the dial back. Daisy could hear the clickety sound as it returned and the buzzy dial tone between the twirls. "Come on, Daisy, it's working. You're letting them in."

Daisy watched as the tiny cow, in the framed picture that had suddenly appeared on the wall, leapt over the tiny crescent moon. She blinked several times as the scene glitched then replayed like some crazy facebook post.

"I know you can hear me, Daisy." May's voice was soft and low, "and I've had enough of this crap." She wasn't yelling, which was a whole lot scarier than if she was. May wasn't asking she was ordering and…

Harriet hung up the phone and cocked an ear toward the ceiling as if listening. "Uh-oh, your mom is kinda mad. You better listen or you're gonna be in bbbbbiiiigggggg trouble." She giggled.

Daisy stood up, stood up without wobbling or losing her balance. "May?" She turned in a circle searching for the sound of the voice. She hadn't realized it at first, but she could hear her mentor's voice. It was close and felt as if it came from everywhere.

"Do you hear me, xiǎo gūniang? I'm done with this whole damn thing. It's time for you to wake up." May gently shook the girl's shoulder. Daisy moaned almost imperceptibly.

Harriet covered her mouth and giggled again pointing at Daisy. "She called you little girl."

Daisy ignored the child's teasing and stood turning in all directions, searching for the source of the sound. "I hear you May. I do." She tried to keep the tears out of her voice. "Are you alright? Where are you?"

"You have to let her in." Harriet reminded her, shaking her head and pronouncing each word as if it were a song.

The large door rattled on its hinges and both girls turned toward it.

"They're coming." Harriet whispered turning wild eyes toward Daisy. "Don't let them in, Daisy, send them away."

"Daisy, come on, you can do it. We need you to open your eyes and talk to us." Coulson wasn't quite as urgent but he was firm…more so than usual.

"Like that time you kept asking him the same question and he said he answered it. Is this a conversation you're not comfortable with?" Harriet asked as the banging on the large door grew louder. "I think you need to be more comfortable, cuz he sounds kinda mad but I don't think he's mad at us…maybe you need to trust the system more." The little girl looked up at Daisy who watched as the large door shook with the force behind it.

"We've tried everything else," Simmons instructed. "She hasn't had any sedatives for the last three days. She needs to wake up and you are the only people she is responding to right now. You'll need to be firm, angry if need be, make her listen to you. The longer she stays in this state the harder it will be to wake her."

Coulson nodded. He'd been so afraid to take an angry tone with the girl, afraid he'd lose his temper completely and tear into her with all the anger he had suppressed since she'd disappeared months ago. He also feared that anger would push her even farther away…so far that she'd never come back and he couldn't be responsible for that. He wanted to pull her up and shake her and tell her how upset he was at her and then hug her so tightly that she'd barely be able to take a breath. How could this kid not know how much she meant to him and how could he have not told her when he had the chance? He'd told May, told her that Daisy was the daughter he never had and somehow he knew she felt the same way…felt the same guilt at having never told her. Now, he needed her to wake up…wake up so he could finally tell her, and make her believe it.

"DAISY! Daisy you listen to me and you listen good, I want you to open your eyes. Right now, Daisy! You've been sleeping long enough!" Coulson barked at the young girl.

"Coulson?" Again Daisy spun. There was no where to hide in this green room there had to be speakers somewhere. "Is that really you, Coulson? He…he killed you…" She brushed at the hot tears blurring her vision. She had to close her eyes against the sting and found it so very hard to open them again.

"Uh-oh, your daddy's mad too. We're in big trouble, Mary Sue. I don't know what we did this time but you better hope Sr. Regina doesn't find out or your aaaa…."

The rapping and banging on the door became violent. Shards of wood flew from it and fell to the floor. Daisy pushed the smaller girl behind her and backed away. "Don't let them open it, don't let them get us, Daisy." Harriet whimpered.

"Daisy, do you hear me. No, I know you hear me. You come back right now, now Daisy." May's voice was more intense. Daisy could sense the anger, almost feel it. It raged throughout the room. She looked down at her arms expecting to see the rise of more bruises and mottled skin, but the power was not coming from her nor was the tiny girl now cowering behind her responsible. She wrapped an arm around the girl in an attempt to comfort her…an odd jolt surprised her…like getting a shock after dragging your stocking feet over a new carpet, only stronger.

"May?…May, I hear you May." Daisy tried to keep the panic out of her voice. Control yourself, May would tell her. Breathe, she would say. The door banged again. They were almost through. Daisy drew a deep breath and let it out slowly. She felt the child do the same.

"Call them!" Harriet screamed over the din. "Tell them you need them…call your mom and dad, the *real* ones before the monsters get us for real Daisy." She looked toward the door then back to the girl standing next to her. "Please, Daisy, please save yourself." Her voice was different…not so childlike…familiar but not… "You did it once before, remember…remember when the bad man was beating him and you thought he would kill him…remember…remember you said 'Dad!' and he stopped but you weren't calling the bad man then were you? You were calling him…cuz he was Dad and you knew it. Please remember, Daisy, Please."

Daisy spun around and squatted down to the girl's level, looking her in the eye for the first time and realizing she had been looking into a mirror…a mirror of her younger self. The child was crying and immediately wrapped her thin arms around Daisy's neck. "You have to save us, Daisy. We know who our parents are, the ones we always said we'd have…the ones that we prayed about when the sisters made us kneel in church, remember Mary Sue…remember me when I needed them to love me and care about me and do anything for me. You found them when you stopped looking cuz they were just there and they love you and me and they get mad sometimes but they love us and they even yell at us when we're sleeping." She sniffled and looked at the door straining against whatever threatened to break through the turned, put her small hands on either side of Daisy's face and whispered softly. "Please, Skye, call them. Call them, Daisy, please."

The door banged like a giant gong and now she could hear Cal laughing and singing behind it. Jiaying's voice came over the noise as well placating the Cal-creature and whispering her name over and over.

Daisy drew a deep breath and blinked away the tears that blinded her. She looked at the small child crying against her chest and felt the despair in her heart. What she felt most was shame…shame for not knowing, for almost throwing all of it away…for hurting the people she loved and needed. The door shook with ferocity, it would not hold much longer. Splinters of wood and what seemed to be nuts and bolts broke free and sailed about the room on a wind that had forced its way through the many cracks. Daisy swallowed her panic.

"MAY…COULSON…HELP US…" Daisy screamed as the door began to break. "Please, please hear me…please help us…help me." She wrapped her arms around the child and braced herself for what was to come.

Daisy moaned, lurched forward and reached one hand out searching…searching for a lifeline. May grasped it gently, mindful of the purplish fingers that stuck out of the still present cast. "Help me…please" Her voice was raspy and the words garbled, but they sensed her panic.

"I'm right here, nan nan, you're safe." May assured her, frantic at the fact she could not rescue the girl from what ever terror was consuming her. Phil moved to her side placing his hand around both of theirs. May looked at him. They spoke together. "You have to wake up Daisy."

"Wake up, bao bao, wake up and it will all be over."

"Come on, angel…open those eyes."

"Let them in!" Harriet sobbed.

"Daaaaaaa-zeeeeeee," Crazy Cal was singing again.

"Daughter," Jiaying breathed.

Daisy felt the panic rising again and somewhere an alarm was sounding. Harriet slapped her hands over her ears and cowered. "They're almost through." She screamed over the turmoil.

Jemma raced to the monitors watching as Daisy's vitals soared. She grabbed the already prepared hypodermic dreading the thought of putting the girl out again knowing she might never come back.

"Mmmmmmmmm…." The sound came from Daisy as she struggled to form a word. "Mmmm.."

"I'm here." May placed her hand on Daisy's cheek. "I'm right here."

"MOM!" The word was loud and clear, forcing May back before she moved closer. "Mom, mom," Daisy gulped for air as if she had just forced her way through deep water. "Mom, help me…please." She released the breath in a loud sob, flailing in what Jemma feared was a seizure. She quickly grabbed the anti-seizure pen. Daisy drew another breath and struggled to sit up. She reached out with both arms. "Dad…Daddy, please help me….please."

"I'm here," Coulson's voice cracked.

She sprang up, eyes wide with fear yet not focused, not seeing anyone in the room.

The door burst inward sending needle-like wooden shards in all directions across the room. Daisy threw her arms up to protect her face while shielding the little girl with her body. She felt the stings of wood chips bounce against her body as what was left of the large doors crashed to the floor. The wind raged and the voices combined in a deafening cacophonous crescendo…then dropped away into silence.

The noise stopped…the banging…the beeping…the screaming…the singing…everything…the world went silent. Not the kind of silence when you could hear that odd buzzing but utter and complete silence. For a moment Daisy thought she might have gone deaf. Slowly she lowered her arm and looked through her fingers at the bright light that streamed through the large doorway and around the silhouettes that stood in its center.

"Mom?…" she whispered in a little girl's plea…and it _wasn't_ just a word it was a person, a real person…someone she loved and needed and wanted…someone who loved and needed and wanted her…and it was Melinda May.

"MOMMY!" Harriet shrieked as she pushed away and around Daisy. She ran through the jagged wood pieces on her little bare feet. Daisy tried to grab her but the child slipped easily away. "DADDY," she cried as she threw herself into their arms as the couple stepped into the room and squatted down to gather her in their arms.

Daisy felt her stomach turn as she watched her child-self melt into…into…not the monsters she expected. For a second for a second she could only watch as May and Coulson held the tiny girl in their arms, covering her with kisses and hugging her to them. Today's Harriet wrapped her arms around the man that held her then reached for the woman at his side. He handed her off then took her back and kissed her again. They smiled through their tears. Daisy's heart ached with one wish…that she could be that little girl and a split second later it was Daisy herself in their arms, hugging them close and being smothered with kisses. She hugged back…and let her tears join theirs.

Daisy drew a deep breath and tried to stop shaking. The room was spinning and that blasted beeping was enough to make her want to quake the whole place. Someone held her hand, something was tight on her arms, her shoulders. She turned her head and looked into dark concerned eyes. "Mo…May," she swallowed. Coulson moved into her line of sight and she smiled, "Coulson…" she breathed. She took a deep breath and exhaled a sob. Reaching out with her casted arms she ached for their embrace and they obliged.

"It's okay," Coulson soothed squeezing her gently. "As soon as you're healed we're gonna have a real group hug." She laughed through a sob, taking deep breaths and May wiped away the tears before placing a soft kiss on her cheek.

"Don't you EVER do that again." May scolded.

"Welcome back," Jemma whispered and Daisy turned to her inviting yet another careful hug.

"I need to tell you something…something important." Daisy tried to speak through the deep breaths she needed as she leaned against Jemma's shoulder.

"Shhh, shhhh, there's plenty of time for talk," Coulson smiled as he sat on the edge of the bed, lightly touched his finger against her lips then took her back against his own shoulder and placed a kiss on top of her head.

"No…no, this can't wait," Daisy tried to slow her breathing and shake her head but stopped herself and reached out for May's hand. "Now…I…have…to…tell…you…now." She looked from one to the other moving only her eyes and rested against Coulson. "Please."

May looked at the girl leaning against the man she knew she loved. She didn't see a SHIELD Agent or a powerful Inhuman, it wasn't Daisy Johnson or Quake…all she saw was her little girl who needed her and right now she'd give her the world if she asked. One look at Phil and she knew he was thinking the same thing as he wrapped his arms around the girl he held so gently.

"We need to talk to you, too." May stated quietly. "But right now, you just need to relax and take your time. We aren't going anywhere."

"I think she might be running on pure adrenalin." Jemma explained as she held a stethoscope to Daisy's chest and placed two fingers against her neck to feel her pulse. Yes, the monitors could do the job, but she needed to touch Daisy, to feel her life beating under her own fingers. She slipped an oxygen mask over Daisy's face and with a look warned her to leave it there. "This will wear off and I'm afraid she's…you," she pointed a finger at the girl, "will be very tired. We are not going to overdo it, are we?"

Daisy shook her head minutely and allowed herself to relax into the strong embrace of her father. She worked at taking deep slow breaths and letting them out slowly realizing she was watching May who sat in front of her and did the same. She smiled a little smile. They were together. They wouldn't leave her or send her away…they would bring her back and she'd stay.

*with deep respect for

Good Night Moon – Margaret Wise Brown, Where the Wild Things Are – Maurice Sendak, Alexander and the Terrible, Horrible, No Good, Very Bad, Day – Judith Viorst, and The Secret Garden – Frances Hodgson Burnett


	6. Chapter 6

"Good Morning," Jemma's voice held the smile she could not contain.

Daisy grumbled a bit as she rolled to her back and made a valiant attempt to pull her eyes open. She stretched her legs, carefully mini-stretched her still casted arms and ran her tongue over her teeth. She opened one eye just enough to focus on the young doctor standing next to her bed and blew a soft breath over her lips. A soft snore from the cot a few feet from her bed caused her to look in that direction. She could not contain the smile that formed as she made an attempt to bring herself up on her tender elbows.

"Oh, no, no, no," Jemma scolded softly, "not so fast." She placed a gentle hand on her friend's shoulder and pressed a button that raised the head of Daisy's bed to a semi-sitting position.

Daisy was better able to see the man curled up on the very uncomfortable cot across the room. She looked to the chair next to her bed and tried to hide her disappointment. "Where's M…May?" She asked without looking at Jemma as she wiggled a bit into a more comfortable position. It was difficult without full use of her arms and being upright still made her a little dizzy. She tried to hide both facts.

Jemma smirked and shook her head slightly as she put her arm around the girl's shoulders and helped her to right herself then tucked a second pillow behind her head for support. "She will be back in a few minutes," she assured her with a quick nod. "She had to take care of some personal needs."

Daisy raised her eyebrows, surprised that she could do so without igniting the pain in her head, and formed a small 'o' with her lips.

"They have not left your side for more than a few minutes." Jemma patted her leg and smiled again. "Now, can you tell me what day it is?"

Daisy rolled her eyes and let out a little growl. "Come on Simmons," she whined. "It's right there on the board. I can just read it."

"Very good!" Jemma exclaimed as if 'little' Daisy had just recited the alphabet for the first time.

She sunk further into her pillow nest and closed her eyes. The doctor waited a beat then became a bit more serious. "Well then…what day is it?"

"It's Wednesday," Daisy growled through her teeth, without opening her eyes.

"Go on," Jemma waited.

Daisy gave her a sideways glance through narrowed eyes and went on in a sing song voice as she tilted her head side to side. "Today is Wednesday, November ninth, nineteen hundred and seventy-two." Immediately she squeezed her eyes shut and let out a pained 'ooooo'.

"Serves you right, smart ass," Jemma admonished as she placed her stethoscope on the girl's chest and motioned for her to be silent. Daisy turned up the side of her face and stuck out her tongue at the back of Jemma's head, quickly pulling a straight face as the doctor turned back toward her. "And do you know the name of the president?"

Daisy deadpanned, "unfortunately…I do."

"Mmm-emm," Jemma smiled. "Follow my finger…with just your…"

"Yeah, yeah…watch your finger, how many fingers are you holding…come on, Jemma enough. I've done all your tests every morning." The girl was getting a bit testy.

Jemma shook her head and picked up the clipboard attached to the side of Daisy's bed. "Twice, you've done it twice and it says here you still cannot hold anything down." She looked up at Daisy. "That is not good."

"Yeah, well maybe if they gave me something worth holding down, it'd be a lot easier." Daisy sighed. She wished she could shake the queasy feeling in her gut but telling Jemma would just mean more tests and probably some horrid treatment. She hoped it would just go away.

Jemma moved to the bottom of the bed and threw back the light blanket exposing Daisy's bare feet. She ran the end of her pen up her sole causing the girl to pull her foot back and fail to keep the giggle out of her voice. "Hey!" She squeaked before the doctor did the same on the opposite foot. Daisy pulled her knees up and planted her feet flat on the mattress. "Least you could warn me!" Jemma raised her brows and moved to Daisy's side and motioned for her to lean forward a bit.

The doctor carefully removed the bandage around Daisy's head and examined the healing wound that had caused all of this trauma. "It is healing nicely, much faster than I would have expected." She reached for a sterile pad and gauze to redress the injured area.

"Huh, yeah…one of the perks of terragenesis…" Daisy grumbled under her breath.

Jemma stepped back and admired her neat work. "Well, consider yourself a very lucky girl. This could have been so much worse, Daisy." Daisy kept her head down absently picking at the tiny pilled fuzz on her blanket. "And," Jemma's voice sounded excited as she continued. "I believe they've finished with the helmet they fitted you for during your procedure. They will be bringing it by this afternoon."

"Great," Daisy sighed. "Not only have you turned me into a semi-mummy, now I get to be a crash dummy."

Jemma sighed as well. "It's only for your protection."

Daisy turned up a side of her mouth and reached up slowly to touch her hair. "Yech," she grimaced. "Any chance I can shower today? My hair feels like slime." She tried puppy-dog eyes on the young doctor who was already shaking her head.

"Daisy," she breathed in frustration. "You can barely hold a spoon, let alone stand in the shower on your own. And further more you cannot get that incision wet for at least a few more days."

"Days?" Daisy almost yelled but kept her voice down so as not to disturb the still snoring Coulson. "Days," she repeated quietly. "Geez, Jemma by then it will just slide right off my head. Come on, I'm sure Fitz could rig up some kind of some thing-a-ma-bober that could protect my brain window."

"Of course," Jemma teased sarcastically. "In fact, he already has." Daisy's brows went high as she smiled. "It's called a cap!" She folded her arms over her chest. "And you can choose the color."

Daisy's face fell as she lay back against the pillows and gave a serious pout. "I guess a nice hot bath is out as well."

Jemma laughed. "That, I will think about. But I will tell you if you take your medicine like a good girl and not force me to bring in another tech or have Agent May assist, again, I will talk to both her and Agent Coulson about that discussion you've been aching to have. I do believe you are up to that."

Daisy smiled a small hesitant smile.

"And,"

The smile fell away as she looked at Jemma over her brows.

"You have to eat some breakfast."

Daisy scrunched up her face and watched as Jemma turned away to prepare what she referred to as medicine. Daisy was more apt to call it torture. "Why can't you just poke that in the IV, instead of me?" She pondered

"Well," Jemma sighed. "Terragenesis has its perks and its shortcomings. This is a powerful antibiotic but it seems to do very little unless we inject directly. Your DNA apparently does not react well to it being diluted in the IV fluids. Sorry." Daisy had to admit she did look apologetic…maybe. "Furthermore it is an intramuscular injection in order for it to…"

"Yeah, yeah, whatever…I just don't like being poked."

"So, I've noticed," Jemma remarked as she pulled the curtain around the bed and almost laughed as the color drained from her friend's face.

"I know you're doing this on purpose." Daisy complained with a somewhat shaky voice.

It had been two days since Daisy swam back to consciousness. At first there was fussing and crying and hugging and just making sure it was real. Then she was whisked away for test after test and in between Jemma had been correct. The girl was exhausted, yet every time she drifted off May's heart caught thinking she had once again lapsed into that semi-coma state from which she could not be roused. Jemma had given strict orders to gently wake her every twenty minutes and ask her name. She and Coulson had taken turns doing so for almost twenty-four hours and had gotten more than a few laughs at the answers they were given.

Twice she was 'Skye' with an angry growl as she pulled away and dozed back into bliss and once she even claimed to be Mary Sue, but snorted at the name and grumbled something neither of them could understand. They weren't concerned since the girl had had many names throughout her unorthodox upbringing.

"I am SHIELD," was one of the answers and both laughed as she sounded an awful lot like that tree-guy in the movie neither could remember but knew it had something to do with guardians. But, as the name 'Daisy' was given more often than not, everyone started to relax…even if it was just a bit.

Jemma presented results of the tests with more than a bit of relief noting that while they were not perfect, that Daisy had a long way to go and that she was doing much better than expected at this point. Again, something she attributed to the girl's amazing alien biology.

May stood in the shower letting the hot water pour over her as she let these thoughts roll through her mind. They'd almost lost her…their girl…the daughter that grew into their hearts rather than under hers. Yes, she was a little shaky and a lot dizzy but with lot of hard work and rehab, Daisy would be fine…or so she told herself.

They still needed to have that talk, the one Simmons had insisted they put off until the tests were complete and she was absolutely sure Daisy was on her way to recovery. That fact had been established and it was time to say what needed to be said, with or without Jemma Simmons' permission.

Melinda turned off the water and grabbed a towel. She planned one quick stop to snag a coffee for Coulson who'd better be awake by the time she returned with a tea for herself. Simmons would be finished with her morning evaluation and with any luck Daisy would have cooperated and allowed the doctor to administer the dreaded 'shot' as well. She smirked at the thought. The girl could bring down a mountain or propel herself into the sky but cowered at the thought of a little needle stick. 'Just like Phil' she smiled remembering him almost fainting the first time they had to be inoculated before leaving the country. He'd often mentioned how much Daisy reminded him of her, but she saw so much of him in the girl.

Her goofy sense of humor and the way her eyes crinkled before she laughed…her love of anything sweet and everything that was considered 'not good for you'…her dedication to her team…her fierce resolve to protect them…her stubborn need to blame herself and punish herself for every wrong she could not correct. Well, maybe that last one was a bit of both of them.

May stopped herself. Daisy was not their child…she had no biological link to either of them and by that could share none of their traits. But she did…and Melinda could not help seeing it and beaming with pride because of it. 'Your powers didn't make you an agent…I DID.' She vividly remembered telling the girl that. She wanted to tell her so much more that day…but…well fate had other plans. But today…they'd fix that once and for all.

Jemma could not help the laugh that escaped as Daisy unscrunched her face and let out a soft whimper. "If I had a sucker, I would be sure to give you one." She smirked as she dropped the used instrument into the sharps container.

Daisy squirmed back into a comfortable position and stuck out her bottom lip. She narrowed her eyes at her friend. "That is the very last time I plan on shooting you a moon, Jemma." She snarled.

"That's fine," Jemma sniggered back. "I'm sure Agent Prescott would love the practice, although he is a bit heavy handed." She smiled without turning around knowing Daisy would be sending an icy glare in her direction. "I will speak to him about your evening dose."

"You wouldn't dare." Daisy spoke through her teeth in an effort to sound like May which caused both girls to break into spontaneous laughter.

"Knock, knock," Coulson sounded pretending to rap on the drawn curtain. Jemma pulled it back around Daisy's bed.

"Good morning, Agent Coulson," she greeted him brightly.

"Hey, AC," Daisy smiled with a wave of her casted hand.

"Ladies," he smiled back and squeezed Daisy's toes through the blanket. She smiled again at the small show of affection. He looked up and then back at Jemma, an unasked question in his eyes.

"She wanted to shower and get breakfast. She knew I'd be here, sir." Jemma answered without him asking. He smiled and gave a quick nod.

"How you feeling today?" He squeezed Daisy's toes a second time. He'd given up telling Simmons to stop calling him 'sir'. He was not longer her commanding officer.

"Be better if I could get paroled," Daisy frowned as an unfamiliar agent carried a tray into the room and set it on the small table. "Oh, look…breakfast." She tried not to let her 'yuck face' show. May followed the young agent into the room carrying two mugs that she set on the table next to the tray.

"Looks like I'm just in time." She tried to hide the grin she could feel tugging at the corners of her mouth.

Coulson picked up the mug of coffee and took a quick sip. "I will join you in ten…fifteen minutes…just need to freshen up a bit." He ducked out of the room before anyone could answer.

Jemma put a hand over her mouth to suppress a giggle and May rolled her eyes.

"At least someone gets to take a shower," Daisy pouted.

Daisy picked at her breakfast of dry toast and orange juice, grateful for the bland menu, until May gave her a look that hurried her along to finish. She tried her best but it wasn't long before it came back up and she looked apologetically at May who got a waste basket to her in the nick of time. She wanted to beg the woman not to tell Simmons but it would certainly be a waste of everyone's time.

"It's okay," May comforted. "Maybe lunch will be better." Daisy nodded and held her queasy stomach.

Jemma suggested a liquid diet before resorting to a nasal feeding tube which Daisy immediately vetoed. "And absolutely NO JELLO," she added with fervor.

After being tortured through the embarrassment of donning a protective helmet that Daisy described as a combination of a cyclists' head guard and demented football player's crown she was once again whisked off to radiology for scans of her arms and head.

"She really is doing well?" Coulson questioned the young doctor.

"Yes, sir, as well as can be expected. She has a long way to go, but yes she is doing well." Jemma reassured him.

"Then we've waited long enough," May informed her.

Jemma nodded. " I suspect the tummy troubles may be part of her anxiety over this conversation. You aren't planning on admonishing her for her recent actions, are you?" Jemma seemed extremely concerned. "I know she's pulled some ridiculously dangerous stunts but she…"

"Relax, Simmons, we aren't on a witch hunt." May sneered over her mug.

"I know you want to clear the air, but again. If it gets too much for her, I will have to insist." Jemma's mouth began to go dry at May's glare. "Well then let's just see if we can make things a bit more comfortable then, shall we?"

When wheeled back into her room Daisy was surprised to see the large reclining chair from the common room set up where the cot had been earlier in the day. She thought it would be a lot more comfortable for Coulson and/or May than that crazy old military type cot. She wondered if they found it among all of Agent Carter's WWII memorabilia, but was pleasantly surprised when Jemma directed the techs to set her up in the large chair rather than the bed. It brought a smile that spread across the room.

Coulson and May pulled the chairs they had been using closer to Daisy's recliner and Jemma discretely excused herself, leaving an uneasy silence no one seemed eager to shatter. Coulson reached across the short distance between them and took May's hand in his own, she did not pull away. Daisy's eyebrows rose slightly before she quickly averted her stare.

"I had really weird dreams…" She mumbled in a clumsy effort to start. "I thought…thought I was dead." She let the comment dribble into an almost unheard sigh.

"It's okay," Coulson whispered as he rested a hand on her knee. "You're okay, now."

Daisy shook her head slightly. She could feel the tears she swore she would not shed. "I…I don't deserve…"

"Stop right there," May's voice was firm but gentle. "We've been through this, Daisy. This is not something you deserve because if you do then we deserve it just as much. We're just as guilty."

The girl blinked several times trying to make sense of the comment. What did they deserve? Certainly nothing like she did. No matter what they'd done they were not monsters who hurt their friends and betrayed them as an alien junkie starved for a means to satisfy her supplier. She was…damaged…she got people killed…she…

"Daisy, listen…" Coulson's voice was soft and calm. "There's something we need to tell you…something we should have told you a long time ago."

Daisy's breath came fast as her heart beat increased. She could hear the monitors blipping louder and knew Simmons would come rushing into the room…rushing in to stop her before she could say what she wanted. They were going to tell her…tell her it had all been a horrible mistake and that they should have left her to drown with the Rising Tide. She couldn't hear that…not before she said what she needed. She took a deep breath and looked into May's concerned eyes. She matched the woman's breathing and felt the relief as the monitors began to quiet.

"No…no…" Daisy stopped him. "I have to tell you, please let me tell you." Coulson nodded and squeezed her knee. She looked at him and then at May, swallowed hard and took a breath. "I kept dreaming all these bizarre things and someone was always after me or I was trapped or some there was some awful crap going on…but you…you were there, too." She pointed at them with her cast. "You…you're the ones who kept pulling me out, pushing me forward even when I wanted to give up, but in my dreams…you weren't…you were…" She stopped, searching for the words to explain. "I know you probably think it's just a dream and well, my head and all…but in the dreams you were…my, my m-m-mom," she glanced quickly at May and then at Coulson, "and my dad," then quickly down at her hands. She stopped and waited for their reaction…a laugh or a disgusted sigh…but when she dared to peek all she saw were their smiles. She had to look away, mistaking that for amusement.

"It's okay, Daisy, we know how you feel." Coulson tried to keep his voice from cracking. "We feel the same way." He wished he could take her in his arms, take all the pain go away, all the physical and all the emotional hurts she'd suffered in the last year…hell, in her whole life. If time travel were possible he'd drop the three of them into the portal and intercept Agent Avery before she made it to Austin, take that baby from her arms and never let her go. Even if it meant giving up all he had accomplished with this agency, he would willingly give it up for this girl…he'd do it in a heartbeat.

"I wanted so much for you to be my parents. I wanted it so much and when…when Cal found me…it hurt and I didn't…I didn't want him, but I was this horrid thing that he and Jiaying created and you…" Now she was sobbing, trying to make sense between the tears that fell. "You couldn't…didn't…I wasn't good. I was born a monster, it's all I can ever be and you…you both deserve so much more."

May could take no more. She easily slid into the large chair with Daisy and pulled the trembling girl to her, mindful of her injuries. Daisy collapsed into the woman that filled the empty part of her heart…the part that had been reserved for her mother so very long ago. The part that held her wishes and her prayers and her hopes and dreams of what a mother would be and May fit like a missing piece. It was a feeling Daisy could not describe, but it was the feeling she'd longed for all her life.

"Don't you ever say anything like that, again." May pulled forward to look in the girl's eyes. "You hear me? Never again or I will give you a demonstration of the way my mother emphasized her point by leaving a very lasting impression on my posterior." She squeezed her a little tighter and rested back against the chair resting her chin on the girl's head. "Understand? And I don't care how old you are." Daisy laughed through a sob and nodded into May's shoulder. "We have a lot of time to make up." She whispered close to the girl's ear then kissed her cheek.''

"I wish we told you sooner." Coulson said with regret. "I wish you knew."

"I…I think I did." Daisy stammered picking at the blanket that covered her legs. "I mean…I wanted it so bad that I just…well, sometimes I just pretended. I know that's so dumb…like a little kid." She remembered 'Harriet' and what she said about loving and needing and wanting. She knew the feeling. It lived in that empty space in her heart…a space that suddenly wasn't so empty.

Coulson pulled his chair next to Daisy and took her bandaged hand in his. "Nothing wrong with needing someone," he looked at May, "felt that way myself for a long time and yeah, it's kinda dumb not to tell the person you love how you feel." The woman smiled and laid her cheek against Daisy's head.

"Guess dumb just runs in the family," May quipped. Daisy breathed a laugh and Coulson raised his brows.

"If I could go back, I'd never go to Afterlife. I'd never let Jiaying try to take your place. I'm so sorry, May. I'm sorry I hurt you." Daisy was crying again.

"Shhhhh," May kissed her temple and pulled her into a tighter embrace. "We all make mistakes, Daisy and I'm so sorry I hurt you."

"No, no, May, never…you never," she pulled away causing her head to spin but brushed it off as she tried to look the woman in the eye.

"When I jumped all over you for asking to help with your search, when I had Hill throw you off the bus without an explanation, when I left without even saying goodbye, when…" May stopped as Daisy struggled to turn around.

"No, May, no…don't…" Daisy turned her face into the woman's shoulder muffling her words.

"We all made mistakes, angel…we're only human…" Coulson shushed as he brushed the hair from her face.

Daisy turned toward him, sniffed into a crumpled tissue and smiled, "I'm no angel, AC and not a hundred percent human either."

"Guess that depends on the point of view, angel eyes," he smiled and held her chin in his hand looking into her tear filled eyes. "May's right. We all have a lot of time to make up and a lot of things to work out and the first is getting you well and back on your feet. That's gonna take a lot of hard work."

"And a dumb helmet," Daisy joked as she relaxed in May's embrace. For a moment they enjoyed the silence of each other's company each lost in their own thoughts.

Daisy had joked many times calling them Mom and Dad…she told herself that it was a joke but now she figured it was part of her wishing they really were. Now she hesitated to use either title afraid that it would shatter the magic of the moment, crush the reality and jinx everything. She'd tried out the word 'mom' twice in her life…once with Mrs. Brody just to be sent away as a bad fit and once with Jiaying just to find out she was a murderous psycho…but both times it was just a word, a name, a title…there was no real feeling behind it. Jiaying hadn't even considered herself a mother…not the kind Daisy needed. Melinda May was and that thrilled and terrified Daisy at the same time.

Coulson…AC…he'd always been Dad, there was never any doubt. From the first time he agreed to help her, after that fiasco with Miles…she was so terrified that he would banish her or that he would issue some horrid punishment that would embarrass as well as humiliate her…and at the same time she didn't care. She would have done anything to stay with S.H.I.E.L.D., to stay close to him. And yes, little Harriet was right, when Cal was pummeling Coulson in Puerto Rico and she yelled out, dad, it was Coulson she was speaking to not her crazed birth parent. Cal might be her father…but Coulson…he was dad. She remembered some poster she saw somewhere. It said – Anyone can be a father…but it takes someone special to be a dad. She thought it was goofy at the time, but now it made perfect sense. Anyone with all the necessary plumbing could procreate, could fertilize an egg and bring a new life to fruition but that didn't make that person a dad or a mom. She knew that now.

"Do you think…" she started to ask not daring to look into Melinda's eyes, for fear of what she might see. "I mean would it be a big deal if maybe…maybe I called you mom." Before May could answer Daisy spoke quickly, "I mean not in front of anybody or anything and not all the time and never in front of Mace or in public or when anyone was lis…"

May put a finger on the girl's lips. "I would love to hear you call me Mom, Daisy. I tried to tell you a while back how much I cared and you can call me mom whenever and where ever you want and I don't give a damn who hears you."

Daisy sobbed again. "I'm really sorry about all this blubbering, must be the brain window." She sniffled again and pulled a new tissue from the box and wiped her eyes.

Coulson watched his 'girls'. He'd never take either for granted again. He knew now that he had loved Melinda May probably since the first time she knocked him on his ass at the academy and Daisy…well that girl at first was a curiosity, an asset to the team and a piece of his heart. He couldn't even remember when or what had created their bond but once sealed it would not be broken. It was apparent to everyone who knew either of them that he considered himself the girl's father and he did nothing to dissuade them. He'd given up being director of this organization, a position given to him by Nick Fury himself, in order to be free to look for her and he had no regrets. Now she was here. Now she was safe. She wasn't the daughter he never had…she was the daughter he had and held and loved right here and now.

"You mean the world to us, Daisy." Coulson added as he leaned in to kiss her opposite temple.

"I love you, dad." She smiled at Coulson, snuggling further into May. "I love you, mom."

"I think our girl's had enough for now." May said as Daisy's eyes fluttered closed. Coulson nodded and easily slid his arms under her too thin form and lifted her. She complained a bit losing May's close comfort but sunk into Coulson's with ease. He carried her to the bed and gently laid her down. May adjusted the blankets and lowered the upper half of the mattress. She kissed the girl's forehead. "You take a nap, bao bao. We'll be here." She stepped away to let Coulson do the same. By the time he stood from kissing her she had drifted to sleep. He watched her for a moment before joining May on the large recliner.

Now she snuggled into his embrace resting her head on his chest. "I think we're gonna be alright." He let out a relieved breath and felt her nod against him. He listened to the quiet for a few seconds. "You know, May, you and I, we've been bush beating ourselves for a lot of years…"

She turned her head up to look at him. "Shut up, Phil," she smiled as she wrapped her hand around his neck and pulled him into the kiss she'd been saving for just the right moment.


	7. Epilogue

Suggested and requested by a fan - hope it's well recieved

Epilogue

Whether it was alien DNA, traces of GH-325 or just plain old sheer determination and drive, six months later Daisy was once again meeting with May every morning for training. She'd grudgingly completed rehabilitation, swearing at anyone who attempted to help her stand or walk and within two weeks had all but dismantled the walker she had been issued. She'd actually hidden it on more than one occasion, accidentally-on-purpose, 'forgetting' it in the kitchen…the bathroom…the common room…or any other room she managed to escape without a personal assistant.

Today…yes, six months and three weeks after her run in with the Watch Dog Assassin Squad she was walker free…and just a few days earlier Jemma had finally agreed to let her actually walk about the base without that 'firschtinkin' helmet. How she hated that damn thing. It made her feel like…well like someone who had to wear a bloody helmet to get around anywhere! She was finally free and with a lot of whining she shook her full time 'nanny', and then only by promising to wear one of those 'oh, I've fallen and I can't get up' thingies around her neck and a tracker on her wrist so that Dr. Simmons and her newly adopted parents would know her whereabouts at all times. It seemed like a fair deal…besides; it only took her twelve minutes to disable the damn thing and five more to make sure they didn't find out.

But this morning she was face to face with her former S.O., who actually was once again in that position, after all that had happened. And once again, she had that damn helmet strapped to her head. May refused to do even the most basic exercise with her until she wore it…not even Tai Chi. Daisy was mortified, but acquiesced to avoid the ongoing argument and tongue lashing that followed.

"Come on, Daisy, you're not even trying." May growled as she reached out a hand to pull the girl up from the mat for at least the fifth time since they'd started. "If you want to wake up those sleeping muscle memories, you are going to have to put in a bit more effort."

Daisy drew a deep breath and blew it out before answering between even more small breaths. "You are the one not trying. Come on, yourself…you're holding back and don't deny it."

May raised an eyebrow and glared at the girl. "You think so?" She asked with no emotion as she moved to one side and took on an offensive position. "Defend yourself!" She spun into a roundhouse kick narrowly missing Daisy's face, fell to the floor on to her right and swept the girl's feet out from under her. Daisy hit the floor with a loud 'oomph'. May was on her feet in a second and held out a hand again. The girl slapped it away and pulled herself up to sit in a crossed leg position.

"It's this damn helmet!" Daisy groaned as she ripped open the chinstrap, yanked it off her head and threw it across the gym floor. It bounced twice, slid across the mats, spun around on its top, and landed upright against the far wall. She let out a disgusted sigh and dropped her chin on to her fists as her elbows rested on her knees. "It's very uncomfortable and really messes with the peripheral vision thing." She grumbled over a pout.

May stifled a laugh at the young girl's plight and turned to drop her workout gloves into her open gym bag. "It's for your protection, Daze, your skull is going to take longer to heal than the rest of you." She looked over her shoulder at the young girl who rolled her eyes and blew a fluttery breath over her lips. "You've done great so far, but Jemma told you it would take time. You just have to be patient with yourself." She took a long drink from the bottle of water she pulled from the bag and walked over to her young charge handing her one as well.

Daisy looked up over her brows at the woman who she considered *mom* and snatched the offered bottle, pulled it open and drank so furiously that it dribbled over her chin and down the front of her sweaty workout top. She didn't care. Slamming the top back on the bottle, she smacked it down on the floor next to her. She was mad and wanted May to know it.

The older woman shook her head and took another sip from her bottle. "Brain injuries are nothing to screw around with, Daisy. The brain doesn't really heal it just finds new pathways to accomplish old tasks and abilities. You should consider yourself lucky."

Daisy shrugged her shoulders and turned up one side of her lips. It could have been a lot worse and lying in bed for almost three weeks humbled her greatly. In that time she feared what she might not be able to do, even her power was weakened to the point she could barely make an ink pen shiver. She never really embraced that power, but she knew she'd miss it if it were gone.

When May, Coulson and Mack took a team to track down the creeps that did this to her, she was crushed but understood that the longer they waited the less chance they would have to find them. In the end, it was all for naught as the jerks had disappeared without a trace; even that Mario guy that found her had no clue where they had gone. She knew it was still an active case and hoped to have some input…if Mace, Coulson and, of course, May even let her in on the damn thing.

And the first thing on her list of what she needed to do to get there was lose that idiotic helmet! Even if it meant melting the damn thing in the base's incinerator, although she was sure Jemma had a back up helmet hidden somewhere in the medical bay.

"Hey!" May waved a hand in front of her face waking her from her angry reverie. She let out a soft snort and looked up at her. "Stand up," the woman stated, expecting no argument.

Daisy slapped her hands down on the mat and pushed herself to her feet, looking at May expectantly.

"See those weights over there," May nodded her head toward the rack on the opposite side of the room. Daisy nodded…she really hated weight lifting…too tedious. "I want you to move them."

Daisy dropped her shoulders and tossed her head side to side as she whined. "Oh, come on, that will take forever and what's the poi…" She stopped at the deadpan look on May's face.

"Let me finish," May spoke slowly, clearly, emphasizing the final sound of each word. "Use your power and just make them shake…at little." She added the last few words as a warning.

Daisy straightened up and a wide smile spread across her face. This was it. She'd show May she was fine. She'd been practicing. She raised her left hand toward the weights and felt the shiver of strength begin to build. May grabbed her wrist and pushed her arm down.

"Hey, what…" Daisy scrunched up her face as she turned toward the older woman.

"Right side only," She smiled and Daisy's pout returned.

Practice was great…left-handed…right, not so much. She managed a few tinkles of cups and glasses in the kitchen and wobbled a fork off the table, but that was exhausting. Heck, it didn't matter she'd just use one hand until all of her strength returned, didn't think anyone would notice. No one would notice…except May.

"Let's go," May insisted. "Show me. Now." She stepped back and folded her arms over her chest again nodding toward the rack of weights.

Daisy took a deep breath and blew it out causing the hair that had fallen over her face to flip up in the air. She raised her right hand toward the weights and concentrated on sending a pulse of energy toward it. She wanted to send it out the door, down the hallway and into the panic door at its end, that'd show them all. What she managed was a soft poof of a shimmer that caused one of the pins in one of the smallest barbells to vibrate for about two seconds. She dropped her arm to her side and refused to look at her mentor.

May spoke softly as she rubbed the girl's arm. "You were injured on your left side, it affects the right. You need to help your brain build new pathways for it." She smiled at Daisy's frown. "Come on, we'll work on building it…concentrate on your right side." Turning back to her bag, she stashed her water bottle and searched for a fresh pair of gloves. Daisy bounced from foot to foot and took a few deep breaths as she prepared for May's first 'attack'.

"First, you get the helmet." May almost laughed at Daisy's growl.

"Oh, come on…really?"

"Really," May answered calmly as she pulled on a glove but did not turn around. "Helmet or we're done."

Daisy waited a few beats trying to form an argument that might have the slightest chance of…no, nothing would get to Melinda May. She shook her head, pursed her lips and growled before trudging across the room to snatch the dreaded helmet. Under her breath she grumbled all the way. "Damn, stupid thing, don't see what it does anyway…I still feel it when I hit the floor…don't even use it when I spar with Piper or Prince…" She stopped for a moment considering kicking the damn, stupid thing as far as she could with her LEFT foot but reconsidered and bent over to pick up the object.

Daisy wasn't sure what happened first... the sound of wood meeting muscle or the instant fiery sting that probably accompanied it. It wasn't the surprise that spun her around to meet May's fierce gaze, it was the shock.

"WHAT THE HELL!?" She squeaked as she subconsciously reached back to rub out the fire that she was sure had ignited on her posterior.

May stood a few feet away, once again with arms crossed over her chest, but now she also tapped a foot on the gym floor. Daisy couldn't quite make it out but she was holding something in one hand. "Am I to understand that you've been sparing without that helmet?" She nodded toward the object that still lay on the floor at the girl's foot.

"Did you just…did you whack my a…" Daisy was indignant.

"Answer the question," May advanced on her, ignoring her reaction. Daisy immediately recognized the object she wielded.

"You DID!" She almost laughed. "My god, you did…you, you smacked me!"

"I warned you what would happen if you did something stupid. I don't make idle threats."

"You said if I *said* something stupid…" Daisy retaliated as she backed away from May's advance.

"Don't argue semantics…pick up the helmet." May answered through her teeth.

Daisy bent her knees, squatted down and reached back to snatch the helmet, all without breaking eye contact. "Okay…okay…got it…no problem…got the helmet…see…" She smiled as she stood up and held the object out for May to see.

"Did_you_spar_with_ANYONE_without_that_helmet?" May held the ten-inch wooden bolo bat (sans elastic string and ball) perpendicular to the floor pointing it toward her.

Daisy laughed a nervous laugh as she inched around May heading for the exit. "Ha, well…well, I wouldn't call it sparring…not really, we kinda just wrestled a little…very little, like not even wrestle…more like a…rough-housing a bit. Yeah, like no one even hit the floor…much." She smiled again and tried to gauge the distance to the door.

May stepped to the right and Daisy raised an arm. She stepped quickly to the left and landed a second stinger on the girl's unprotected backside.

"OUCH!" Daisy squeaked. "That's not fair! Come on, May…Mom…I'm not a kid…"

May smiled at the familial title and tilted her head to the side. "I recall we covered that as well. The consequences of stupidity have no age limit."

Daisy shook her head and put her hands out in surrender a second before throwing caution to the wind and making a mad dash for the door. May was faster and caught her by the wrist landing another strike with the small paddle.

"OW-A, okay…Man, that hurts, come on." Daisy danced backward out the door with May's left hand firmly attached to her right wrist. She squirmed to pull herself free while at the same time dancing to keep her targeted bottom away from May's flawless aim.

The two continued their bizarre tango out the door and down the hallway, with several agents dodging out of their path as they went. Not one commented or reacted as they scrambled to get out of the way and every one silently prayed that whatever the exercise was, that Agent May would not have need to involve them now or at anytime in the future.

"YEOW! Mom…momma…OUCH…mommy…" Daisy eeked as May made contact alternately with repeating her original question hoping the girl would soon realize she'd keep this up until she got a satisfactory answer.

Coulson looked up from the clipboard he'd been handed by a young agent, wondering what the commotion in the hall could be and why so many people were detouring in his direction. He signed the form quickly and handed back to the man who stepped back and hurried in the opposite direction. He considered stopping one of the agents to find out what was going on, but everyone went by quickly, ignoring him as if he weren't even there. In a few minutes the hallway was empty and it was easy for him to recognize the two voices engaged in one doozy of a disagreement…if that was what you'd call it. He watched the scene play out in the cross hallway as Daisy came into view first, sliding and dodging backward away from…May who held the Daisy's arm and occasionally swung something in the girl's direction.

They passed the main hallway without looking and moved away down the side hall toward the bunks. He merely stood and listened as their voices faded until he heard the slam of a door and all was silent. The man considered investigating but on second thought, they'd work it out. He started to turn but recognized the footsteps coming closer until Agent May turned the corner and headed toward him. As she walked, she spun a small wooden paddle shaped object between her hands.

"Where in the world did you find that?" He laughed as she walked forward. "I haven't seen one of those since I was a kid."

She slowed as she approached. "Didn't find it," she snorted. "Talked to my mother about our *new daughter*. Got it in the mail yesterday, didn't think I'd need it so soon." She smiled as she passed him.

He watched her disappear around the next corner then turned back and looked toward the opposite corner and the corridor that lead to their *daughter's* bunk. He walked to that corner and stood looked back in the direction May had gone then down the hall toward Daisy's bunk. He shook his head and looked in the direction they had come noticing something in the middle of the walkway. Moving the few feet to pick it up he examined the familiar helmet and suddenly things came together.

Coulson smiled and nodded his head. "Guess now she knows how Grandma May emphasized her point and knowing Momma May I am sure she left quite the impression." He tucked the helmet under his arm and walked toward his office.


End file.
